He said he killed an Agent
by Enlightened Vez
Summary: There is a man who hunts agents roaming the matrix, and he's causing some concern. While the Agents have named him the "Maniac", what group of people are calling him "friend?"
1. Ignorance is Bliss

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 1: Ignorance is Bliss

An unsure, shaking hand reached out to grab one of two pills, but hesitated. The hand belonged to a young man who was unconfident, scared, and more confused than anything. The man sitting across from him, the bearer of the two pills, was much more intimidating than he. That man was formally dressed in an intricate shirt, tie and vest, with a heavy gray trench coat over it all. The man was very well built, with long, slightly curly black hair parted down the middle, which reached to his shoulders. Stubble covered his coarse, rigid face, which bore an expression of indifference. More intimidating was the fact that his eyes were hidden by oversized, angular sunglasses that were the blackest of blacks. The young man also suspected he was carrying a gun.

The pills this man presented to him represented a choice, a choice that would dictate his life...forever. There could be no greater decision to make, and it had to be made now. The younger man's only comfort was that in the last month, nearly every other human had been faced with the same choice, and he had been warned about this scenario.

They were here to "free" him... from the world that had raised him. He was to be "freed" from the individuals he knew and the places he often visited. He was to be "freed" from the great tasting food, the beautiful women, the relaxing parks, the impressive architecture, and the comfortable precision of his world. The world, which he once knew as Earth, was now more accurately labeled..."the matrix".

But the younger man had made his decision before he had walked into the room, before the man in sunglasses had explained to him the intricacies of the fabricated lies of the matrix, before he had even presented those two pills. His life, even if it had been given a new name, was still his life. The matrix...or Earth...it was what he had come to love.

The younger man snatched up the blue pill, and before he could throw it in his mouth, the man in the trench coat had leaned over and snatched his wrist firmly. The man's hair fell on his face, and his sunglasses slid slightly down his nose, to reveal intense green eyes that locked onto his own.

" Are...you...sure?" The intimidating man said slowly and deliberately, squeezing his prisoner's wrist slightly. It was obvious that he was not pleased.

The young man nodded vigorously to his captor, too overtaken with shock to speak.

His hand was immediately released, and the larger man handed him a glass of water, stood up, and turned around.

" Fine. You can believe...whatever you want to believe." He paused before adding bitterly, " I hope you enjoy your false life." The man proceeded to grab a cell phone from the inside pocket of his trench coat, which slid open so he could speak into it.

" Operator." Was the automated response from the person on the other end of the phone.

" Hermes, get me the hell away from this coppertop." The next moment an older phone on the table next to him started to ring. The man picked it up, pressed to his ear, and left the program world of the matrix.

* * *

Ganymede, captain of the ship _Mnemosyne_, cringed as a large needle was pulled from the back of his skull. He looked up to see his first mate, Dial, standing over him with his arms crossed. Dial was a tall black man with a thin layer of hair, wearing a red long sleeved shirt that was tight and tattered. He was one hell of a gunner, and an even better friend.

Ganymede grabbed Dial's outstretched forearm to lift himself from his chair, and he started shaking his head.

" Another one said no. I'm starting to doubt that Zion will ever see another red pill." Ganymede said sadly in his gruff, commanding voice.

" Don't let it get you down, Gannon," Dial said, using the captain's nickname, " The kid's probably better off. Why would he want to live in a cold hole in the ground, rebuilding a half-destroyed city, when he can go back to playing professional baseball, earning millions of dollars a year, planning a vacation with his supermodel wife to go the Caribbean?"

" He has to know it will never be the same!" Gannon defended. " The matrix is more chaotic now than ever, economies are falling apart, people are disappearing on a daily basis, and more and more people are discovering how to manipulate the code! There are thousands who have learned to 'bend' the rules of the program, and crime is skyrocketing!"

Dial smiled. " It would be kind of fun." Gannon gave him a disapproving glare, so Dial changed his tone.

" Gannon, you know if I had the chance I would grab every blue-pill by the neck, tape their eyes open and make them watch the battle for Zion so I could tell them, 'Look what we went through so you could be free!' But in the end, the choice is theirs."

Gannon shook his head. "It's a waste. And it's dangerous. Especially with the Agent situation."

Suddenly an alarm went off, and Hermes, the operator, spun around his chair to face his captain.

" Speak of the devil, Gannon, we've _got_ an agent situation."

" Son of a bitch..." Dial cursed.

" Who is it?" Gannon questioned.

" It's Pandora. She just jacked in, and is under attack. She's running from two of them."

The captain's eyes went wide, as he ran his hand through his long dark hair. Hermes was referring to the bold and beautiful blonde woman that belonged to their crew. Gannon had sent Pandora recruiting the same as he, as she was the only other crew member that he felt confident sending alone into the matrix. But even Pandora couldn't handle an agent, much less two.

" Dial, with me," Gannon commanded, " we're going back in. Hermes, send us through the construct, we're going to need some weaponry."

* * *

Pandora tried to ignore the burn in her long legs. She had been running for miles, through the winding back-alleys of a mega-city from two suit clad programs that were determined to empty the clips from their pistols in her. It was night, and she couldn't tell if she had been shot, she was hurting all over from the strain she was putting on her muscles. She was running so fast that the street garbage was flying up behind her as she passed.

It was moments like these when Pandora questioned whether or not the war was really over. Sure, the machines _said_ that the agents had exiled themselves, and were acting on their own will, but there was always room for speculation. When the machines stopped attacking Zion, and reset the matrix, allowing everyone a chance to be free, there was no longer a need for agents. But after the agents saw the power Smith had gained, they resisted being deleted with the utmost intensity. They created their own purpose...to _keep_ everyone in the matrix.

Anyone that was freed was now a target for agents, and those still plugged in were _persuaded_ by the programs to stay. The machine world created a new breed of agents to eliminate the renegade programs, but the exiles destroyed them with ease. It seemed that without orders from the machine world, agents were now much more powerful.

Within the last month the crews of eight ships had been killed by agents. To say the least, the programs were very effective. The human struggle against machines had ended, but now there was a more intense struggle between the programs and the freed humans.

Pandora was on her way to give "the talk" to a middle-aged woman, trying to recruit her to join the _Mnemosyne_, in order to help rebuild the real world. When she rang the doorbell, the door was kicked down on her, and she was greeted by bullets. Somewhere during the length of the chase, another agent decided to join in the fun, and now Pandora worried for her life.

Gannon should have received the alarm by now...where the hell was he?

The bold blonde turned a corner sharply and leaped across a major intersection in one jump. She turned her head, still running, to see the two agents stepping on cars to get to her. Before she could turn back around she ran into somebody, and fell backwards. She cursed and looked up to see a tall, handsome man with short, white hair standing before her. He wore a long, red leather coat that reached down to his feet, and had what looked to be a grenade launcher perched on his shoulder.

He also wore an extremely smug grin.

Panicking, Pandora looked behind her again to see that the agents had crossed the five lanes of heavy night traffic, and were closing in on her with their pistols aimed on her back. She looked up to the man in red leather with his overly large weapon, and deduced that he had to be unplugged.

" Hey!" She demanded his attention. " Do you not recognize those two? Run or shoot!"

The man looked down at her, still wearing a smug smile, and he took the grenade launcher off his shoulder, and braced it in his arms, playfully squeezing the trigger, but not firing.

" They're not close enough, yet." He replied. " You should get behind me, or keep running." With that, the white-haired man looked back up at the agents, who were now only fifteen feet away. Pandora scrambled behind the man and stood up, slowly backing away, but still curious to see what he was going to do. The agents were now too close for the man to fire the grenade launcher, but the man maintained his calm demeanor.

Pandora was shocked to see the agents stop when they saw the man, and look at each other.

" The maniac?" One of the agents asked the other.

" It seems so." The other replied. " It could be dangerous to pursue this any further."

'The Maniac', as the agents called him, gave a short chuckle.

" Why don't you two step a little closer so I can read your nametags. It's very rude to engage in a fight without introducing yourself."

The Maniac took a step closer, and much to Pandora's surprise, the agents both took a step back. Pandora could only imagine what power this man possessed in order to illicit such fear in two agents. She had been in the resistance since she was five, and had never seen an agent back away, not even a single step.

" Gentlemen, please," the Maniac continued, taking steps forward as the agents slowly backed away, " you seem to know me, but I can't quite identify you."

" Should we abort our hosts?" One of the agents suggested.

" You won't get the chance." The man with white hair said as he leapt forward with his grenade launcher. The same moment he fired a short volley of explosives at the agents who were only 3 feet from the end of the barrel, and himself. The explosive fire engulfed all three of them in a loud and furious 'bang'.

The violent blast threw the three bodies up into the sky, which had become illuminated by the fire, and it spread outward and upward until it dissolved into the night. The maniac and the two agents' scorched bodies fell to the ground, enshrouded in a white cloud of smoke, hitting the concrete with sickening 'slaps'.

Pandora, who had been knocked off her feet by the explosion, looked up with a sigh. It was now easy to deduce why the agents called him the maniac, and why they were so scared of him- he was desperate. Silently she thanked him, his kamikaze technique had most likely saved her life.

She turned around and started to look for an exit, when she heard movement behind her.

As gooseflesh overtook her arms, she turned her head with terrible anticipation.

Just as she feared, she saw one agent push off the ground, wiping the dirt from his shoulders. A moment passed, and the other agent did the same.

They had not aborted their hosts...and they were still alive. Right as she was going to run, to her utmost surprise, the _maniac_ stood up as well, arming his grenade launcher with the same smug grin as before.

Suddenly, Pandora had a little more faith in this white-haired man.

The stunning blonde clad in tight black leather was distracted, though, by the calling of her own name. It came from across the busy street, from two familiar faces.

Her captain and his first mate had arrived, a little late to save the day, but she was thankful they were there nonetheless.

The agents seemed to take notice of their arrival as well, as they looked to each other for support.

" I'll engage the rebels." One of the agents volunteered, leaping backwards to powerfully pounce on a moving car in the middle of the five lane street, tearing the car apart. Ganymede and Dial both drew their guns, wasting bullets on a target they knew they could never hit. The agent held to his reputation, leaning his torso in a cobra-like motion, so fast that he appeared to have five torsos blurring together.

Pandora was formulating a plan when she noticed that the other agent was circling around 'the maniac' like a shark, conversing. Having never seen this type of behavior from an agent, she listened, making sure to keep an eye on the rest of the crew of the _Mnemosyne_.

" So our information was correct... you are the second anomaly." The agent facing the maniac declared, straightening his tie, and pulling out his pistol. " In comparison, you are quite incompetent. The original anomaly terminated his use of firearms, upon realizing their futility."

The white haired man didn't even turn his head to watch the agent, he simply stood his ground, with his grenade launcher resting on his shoulder.

" I don't see why I'm such a mystery." The maniac stated. " I've got my purpose, same as you, Agent..." The white haired man leaned in to observe the name on the Agent's suit, " Agent Ferguson. You must be an upgrade."

Agent Ferguson's response came in the form of a bullet to the maniac's chest. The white-haired man leaned back and cringed as he took the bullet, but then regained his posture, stuck the end of his grenade launcher into the Agent's stomach, and pulled the trigger.

The blast sent them both flying in opposite directions, and in flames. Agent Ferguson's body flew into the other agent, sending them both into the side of a nearby building. This gave Ganymede and Dial the chance they needed to leap across the street to Pandora.

Gannon landed effortlessly in front of the blonde woman, but Dial landed on his chest screaming, having been shot in the leg while in the air. The agents were apparently already back in action.

" His leg!" Pandora declared as she tended to Dial's wound, tearing off a piece of Dial's shirt and tying it around his calf. Gannon worriedly eyed the two agents, which were once again walking across the large street to engage them.

" Let's move!" Gannon said, his finger securely around the trigger of his automatic weapon.

" No, stay down." A voice from behind them commanded. " I'll take care of it."

The _Mnemosyne's_ crew looked up with surprise as 'the maniac' walked past them, towards the street where two enraged agents were firing endless streams of bullets towards him.

" Pandora," Gannon addressed the girl as they helped Dial to his feet, " who is he?"

The blonde woman shrugged. " The agents called him 'the maniac', and it's easy to see why. That's the second time he's intentionally set off explosives in close range, he has to be on the verge of dying."

" Is he a program?" Dial asked. " Something the machines designed to take out the agents?"

" At first I thought he was unplugged," Pandora admitted, " but you could be right. That would explain his total lack of fear. But...he moves like a human."

The crew turned to watch as the white-haired man met the agents in the middle of the street, as cars swerved furiously to avoid them, honking their disapproval.

Ganymede looked back to his crewmates. " It's obvious he doesn't want our help. We have to leave."

Pandora nodded, taking out her cell phone. She pressed a button to make it slid open, and pressed another button to hear Hermes' voice. After a few moments, she addressed her captain.

" 34th and Oak." Pandora said, giving the exit location.

Gannon nodded. " Tell him we're on our way."

The crew of the _Mnemosyne_ started running in the direction of their exit, giving one final glance to the maniac who was about to fight an agent...and surely was about to die.

* * *

" Agent Ferguson," The Maniac addressed the suit clad program, " you and I have a fight to conclude."

Agent Ferguson turned to the agent next to him. " Abort your host, we're done here."

The agent nodded as his body started to convulse wildly, and blue electricity ran over his body until he changed into a very nervous taxi-cab driver. Agent Ferguson threw the aborted host behind him, where he was instantly killed by a car.

" Looks like we have ourselves a race." The Maniac declared, stepping closer to the agent as cars desperately tried to avoid him. " What's faster? Your ability to transform back into some street vender, or my ability to pull this trigger?"

While the maniac was still two lanes away from the agent, he pulled the trigger, launching a grenade.

Agent Ferguson twisted his body around and leaned far to the right abnormally fast, effectively dodging the grenade. The projectile instead hit a moving sedan behind him, sending the car soaring onto the sidewalk. Glass debris from the exploded car's windshield made minor cuts in both the agent and the maniac, but neither seemed too ill affected.

" Damn," the white-haired man cursed, " I guess you're just too fast." But he continued to step closer, taking slow and deliberate steps.

Agent Ferguson smiled at the compliment and then whipped out his pistol to shoot three rounds at the grenade launcher that the maniac carried.

The man in red leather couldn't move as fast as the agent, and one of the bullets hit its target, setting off one of the grenades in his weapon, which created an explosion that deformed the right side of the grenade launcher, and knocked its carrier down on the street.

" It would seem you're all out of fireworks... Mr. Maniac." Agent Ferguson smugly declared, following the white-haired man with his pistol as he slowly got to his feet again.

" Give it a chance, Fergie!" Was the maniac's reply as he stuck his hand _into the side_ of his weapon, manipulating the code of the item, taking his hand back out to reveal a perfectly reformed grenade launcher.

The agent cringed with distaste, as he pressed his hand to his ear, receiving information through his ear piece.

" It would seem this engagement must be postponed." Agent Ferguson declared, as he started to convulse with blue electricity overtaking him.

The maniac's eyes went wide as he leapt forward and grabbed the transforming agent, punching him hard in the face.

" Stay with me, Fergie!" The maniac demanded, as the blue electricity dissipated, and the agent stopped convulsing.

Agent Ferguson's eyes opened with great displeasure. The maniac had caused him to abort his abortion.

The maniac proceeded to drop him on the street, pinning him down by stepping on his chest, and aimed the grenade launcher at his face.

" How...are...you able...to do...this?" Ferguson said, his body shaking with discomfort.

The Maniac smiled and cocked his head. " It's...my purpose." And with that, he fired a grenade from his weapon only six inches from the Agents face, causing a crater to form in the middle of the street, and causing the white-haired man to be pushed upwards into the air by the explosion.

The man in red leather landed on his feet in front of the crater, and in the center of the depression laid an anomaly in itself.

A dead agent.

Not a dead host, who had been aborted and was an innocent victim...this was Agent Ferguson, his skin scorched, his sunglasses broken, his body limp...dead.

A moment later white light erupted from the crater, out of the Agent's eyes. The light engulfed the dead body, incinerating it.

The maniac had just deleted Agent Ferguson.


	2. If the war was over tomorrow, Zion's whe...

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 2: If the war were over, Zion's where the party would be

" So I take it your recruitment effort went as well as mine." Pandora said to her captain sarcastically, as the needle was pulled from the back of her head.

Ganymede gave a short laugh. " Well, I did get to talk to mine...but at least you were saved the disappointment of another blue pill."

Pandora gave a grim smile. " That's too bad. I have to say the ship's become a little roomier lately, but we need a larger crew."

The captain nodded, running his hand over his coarse beard thoughtfully. " I'm glad you're alright, Pan. The _Mnemosyne_ wouldn't last long without you."

The gorgeous blond woman smiled and gave him a wink, as she started to attend to her duties.

" Dial, how's you're leg?" The captain asked, changing his focus to his first mate's injured limb.

Dial cringed and grunted as he tried to move it. " Well, it doesn't bend..."

Gannon put his hand on his first mate's shoulder. " I think you'll be okay, you're not losing much blood. Hermes, how long 'till we're in Zion?"

Hermes glided his fingers over his many keyboards, typing away. " Less than an hour." He responded.

Ganymede nodded. " Thank God. Tell Zion we've got one wounded and ask if there are any available potentials for joining _Mnemosyne's_ crew."

" Already done."

Dial looked up to his captain. " Replacing me so soon, Gannon?"

The captain shook his head. " Not a chance. But we need a larger force to take into the matrix, and just to keep up with maintenance. I'm tired of sending one person alone into the matrix. I no longer see the point in sending any member of any crew into agent infested waters, just so some coppertop can say 'thanks, but no thanks."

" Gannon," Pandora spoke up, " what about that man who fought the agent...the maniac?"

" That's right," Gannon said, " Hermes, could you get anything from the code?"

The operator shook his head. The code had been nearly unreadable for the last two months. It was highly disrupted when Smith took over, but after the war ended, it had actually become more chaotic.

" All I saw was explosions." Hermes replied. " I couldn't identify any of you."

" But how many programs did you read?" Pandora asked.

Hermes looked skeptical. " Two people were reading like agents, but...there was something else. I thought it was a red-pill, but as the fight went on...something started interacting with the code in a way a program would."

" He's unplugged...but he acts like a program?" Gannon questioned.

Hermes laughed. " I know, when I first saw it...I had to ask myself, I mean...I know he's supposed to be dead...but.."

Pandora chuckled as well. " Don't worry, Hermes. I saw the guy. Trust me, he's no Neo."

There was a short pause of silence.

" Did the agents kill the guy?" Dial asked, shattering the quiet.

Hermes shrugged. " When you reached the exit, the agents were gone, and so was the other guy. The code actually shorted out for minute, my screens went white, but then it went back to...well, not normal...but you get the idea."

" He helped us get out alive," Dial pointed out, " whether he meant to or not. It's too bad...we left him fighting _two_ agents."

The crew of the _Mnemosyne_ all met eyes for a moment, communicating without words, and then resumed their activities, as the ship closed in on the gates of Zion.

* * *

Zion was a zoo.

The _Mnemosyne's_ landing had to be delayed an extra hour because debris had to be cleared from the ship's landing area on the dock. After the war, the dock could only house a third of the ships it used to hold, due to the extensive damage. Incidentally, many more ships were forced to roam broadcast depth, which meant many less trips to Zion. A ship could only return when it had casualties, or needed to recharge.

Ganymede and Pandora reached upwards to help Dial off of the ship, putting his arms around their shoulders to carry him into a wheelchair. Hermes grabbed what little luggage they required, as it was expected to be a short stay.

Making their way to check in, the four had to be careful not to slip on a machine-gun shell, or trip over a large tentacle that had belonged to a sentinel. Zion, especially the dock, was still haunted by the memory of war. Only two weeks ago had all the dead been cleared and buried.

The crew only had gone thirty feet before their escort approached them. It was three men in standard Zion military uniform, the man in the center seeming to be an officer.

" Captain Ganymede!" The officer said, stopping in front of them and shaking the captain's hand. " I'm Lieutenant Hauss. We received your message. My men will take Dial to recovery."

The two men behind Hauss nodded and grabbed Dial's wheelchair.

" I expect flowers from each of you!" Dial joked as they wheeled him off.

Gannon turned to the Lieutenant. " How long will he be? I plan to take off as soon as we're recharged."

Lieutenant Hauss smiled. " Recovery is still swarmed, so they'll want to get him out of their as fast as possible. In the meantime, you'll be happy to know that there are some crew potentials available, and the council has handpicked two men and assigned them to the _Mnemosyne_. With your approval, of course."

Ganymede nodded. " Let's meet them."

" This way." The Lieutenant replied, as he turned around to lead the three to their newest crew members.

Gannon, Pandora and Hermes could not help but look around with wonder as they walked the crowded corridors of Zion. Although Zion was said to be 'dying', it had never looked more filled with life. The rebuilding process would be an infinitely slow one, the council had been prepared for that. But it was still quite a site to see every man, woman and child with a tool in their hands, carting off supplies or clearing debris, painting a wall or welding a door. Everyone was filled with purpose, and did not complain. It had to be done.

The crew was also surprised at how the majority of the workers, men and women, were bald. Despite the fact that many in the matrix were deciding to stay, it seemed that there were still a great number of newly unplugged humans residing in Zion. They were of course given less labor-intensive jobs, as their muscles were still rebuilding from atrophy, but they were active.

It filled many with pride, and it was really an exciting time. There was talk of building other human cities, of expanding Zion into the tunnels and even about re-surfacing. Technology, now that it was not distracted by war, could again start to advance, and perhaps the skies could be cleared, and warmth could once again reach the surface. This, of course, was all up to the council, but anything was possible.

And then the small dose of reality hit, as the crew walked by a very disturbing sight.

A _sentinel_, floating around the workers of Zion.

Gannon could not help but to put his hand on the knife at his hip, even knowing that the sentinel would cause no harm. Pandora and Hermes gave the machine equally evil glares, and the Lieutenant pretended to ignore it.

It was something they could never get used to. To ensure peace, machine representatives were allowed inside Zion. Nobody was comfortable with this, but it was "for the best". There was even a machine inducted into the Council: Councilor Homosapius, or Councilor Hom. Hom was modeled to resemble a human, instead of the insect-like designs of the majority of machines. Hom was always in direct communication with the rest of Zero-One, so the machine was able to negotiate in the machines' best interests.

Councilor Hom was completely weaponless, as were the few sentinels allowed to occupy Zion. But everyone knew that if at any moment the machines changed their minds, the sentinels had the force to shove their tentacles right through any human. Thus there was always tension.

Because the matrix was not completely abandoned, the machines still were able to have an energy source, but it no longer effectively supplied their army, and many machines were "starving". As part of the newly negotiated treaty, the machines could never again "breed" humans, but were allowed to use those who chose to stay in the false world for energy.

The machines, however, realized that eventually those humans would die, and even if they reproduced, it would most likely not be an efficient means of power. Both sides realized that eventually, they would need the sun. Although man had done nearly irreparable damage to the skies, the machines already had been working on a "vaccine" for the atmosphere, and were nearly done.

The council was unanimously in support of bringing back the sun, it meant agriculture, warmth, and the possibility of humans returning to the surface, and escaping the sewers of their ancestors. But everyone was weary of the machines releasing chemicals into the air. After all, it could a biological weapon, and kill all the humans. Thus, Zion had sent numerous envoys into the heart of the machine city, to "monitor" the development of the cure for the skies. These envoys were manned by Zion's bravest, and were led by the heart of Zion's army: Morpheus, and his wife Niobe.

However, even if the chemical worked, and humans could once again live on the surface, that would mean the machines would have to _stay_ on the surface, and the two forces would have to learn to co-exist, without the relationship being parasitic.

The council had much work to do.

Lieutenant Hauss stopped in front of the entrance to one of the personal quarters, knocking twice on the thick metal door.

" This is it." The Lieutenant stated, as the door unlocked, and an officer on the other side opened it. " Please," Hauss motioned them to step inside.

Inside the poorly lit, cramped room was one man, of fair height and build, with short, light brown hair standing with a smug grin. The man's face was handsome, although fairly unremarkable, and he had steel blue eyes.

" Captain Ganymede, this is former Captain Nighten, he'll be joining your crew."

Gannon shook hands with Nighten, but he had a puzzled look on his face.

" Excuse me, Lieutenant, did you say _Captain_?" Gannon asked.

" _Former_ Captain?" Pandora added, as the group looked to the former Captain.

Nighten nodded, his smug grin replaced by a more serious expression.

" My ship, _The Centaur,_ was destroyed in the battle for Zion." Nighten explained with regret. " But to be honest I'd rather be back on a ship then stay here and rebuild. I'm better with a pistol then I am with a paintbrush, so if you wouldn't mind, Captain Ganymede, I'd like to join the _Mnemosyne_. You come highly recommended."

Ganymede gave a slight nod of satisfaction, but wasn't about to let just anybody aboard his ship.

" How much experience do you have in the matrix?" Gannon questioned.

Nighten once again put on his smug grin. " I was a Captain, Ganymede. We jacked in regularly."

" What about combat experience?" Pandora asked, as she put her long blonde hair back into a ponytail.

Nighten answered with a simple, " Yes."

" _Agent_ experience?" Gannon said with intensity.

Nighten paused, smiling as if he was hiding something. But after a short pause, he answered again a short " Yes."

Gannon looked from his crew, to Nighten, and then to Lieutenant Hauss, and finally nodded.

" Okay, Nighten, you're in." The captain stated, shaking the newest member's hand once again. "The _Mnemosyne_ definitely needs you. While in the matrix, you can help us on our recruiting missions. While on the ship, I'll need you to help with repairs. The _Mnemosyne's_ a strong ship, but could use a tune up."

" Sounds great, Captain Ganymede." Nighten said with satisfaction.

" My crew calls me either Captain or Gannon." The captain then pointed to the people behind him. " And here they are, this is the rest of my crew. The lovely blonde woman in front of you is Pandora, the most skilled matrix fighter aboard the ship, save myself."

Pandora smiled and shook Nighten's hand, but upon looking into his steel blue eyes, she saw something she recognized, but could not identify. Pandora tried to be polite, but she could not take her eyes of his grin...

" And this is our operator, Hermes," Gannon directed Nighten. " He's committed nearly every exit in the matrix to memory, and can type faster then you can blink."

" Good to have you onboard, Nighten." Hermes said, shaking his hand.

Gannon turned back to his newest crewmate. " My first mate and the ship's gunner, Dial, was injured on our last visit to the matrix. He was shot in the leg by an Agent when we were trying to help Pandora, but he should be fine, and hopefully you'll meet him shortly. I'm sure you're undoubtedly aware of the growing agent situation, it seems we've been running into them more often."

Nighten smiled. " Then I'm sure you'll find me very useful."

Gannon was a little stunned by that comment, but he just nodded and then turned to Lieutenant Hauss.

" Lieutenant," The captain said with authority, " I believe you said there were _two_ potentials?"

Hauss frowned, slowly taking steps toward the captain.

" Yes, Captain Ganymede. However, I have to warn you, this one probably isn't what you're expecting."

Gannon frowned. " I'm expecting a capable crew member, Lieutenant, nothing more, nothing less."

" Of course," Hauss replied, " which is why this person will come as a surprise." The officer walked over to a door on the side of the room, preparing to open it.

" In fact," Hauss continued, " this person really is more relevant to Pandora."

" What?" The stunning blonde was surprised at the mention of her name. " What do you mean?"

Hauss paused with uncertainty, and then opened the door. He motioned for the person on the other side of the door to step inside the room. A moment later, a small boy, no more than eleven, with extremely short blonde hair walked in the room.

Pandora almost cried.

" Jonathan?" The blonde woman asked, as she put her hand over her mouth. Her face was turning red, and her eyes were watering.

The little boy looked at Pandora at the mention of his name, and then screamed with joy.

" Jenny!" The boy cried, and then ran into Pandora's arms. The two embraced tightly, and then Pandora had to pull him away to look at him.

" Hey, Sis! They told me you'd come to see me!" The young boy said excitedly. This comment only created more tears with Pandora, and shocked the rest of the crew.

" I can't believe it..." Pandora said, wiping her eyes in order to see. " My little brother...the last time I saw you, you were only five..."

" We unplugged him four days ago." Lieutenant Hauss explained. " It turns out he ran away from his home in the matrix, and ran into a red-pill on a recruiting mission. The boy was eager to escape, and so we had no choice, he had made his decision. Because this is happening more and more often, I cross-checked his name for relatives. You can imagine my surprise when _your_ name came up, Pandora."

Pandora was still in disbelief. " This is amazing, Jonathan, how did you...why did you..."

The young boy smiled, shaking his head.

" I'm _The Crusher_ now, Jenny!" Crusher said with pride.

Pandora's eyes went wide as she looked to the Lieutenant, who simply shrugged.

" The rules say he can pick his own name." Hauss admitted.

The blonde woman just laughed. " Okay, _Crusher,_ well, I'm really happy to see you. We've got a bit of catching up to do. But...what are we going to do with you?"

Pandora looked to the Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Hauss looked to Ganymede.

Gannon's eyes went wide, and he started shaking his head furiously.

" Hold on a minute! Lieutenant, are you suggesting..."

" He's eleven years old." Hauss explained. " He'd only get in the way while we're trying to rebuild, and there's nobody else to take care of him. He's just too young to stay in Zion alone."

" And he's definitely too young to join my crew!" Gannon said defiantly.

"_ The Crusher_ isn't too young!" Crusher argued.

" Lieutenant, the risks of having a child aboard a ship...it's unheard of!"

Hauss nodded. " And I can't make you do it. But I wanted them to meet, and figured we could decide from there."

Gannon looked to Pandora pleadingly.

" Pandora, if we were all killed in the matrix..."

The woman smiled knowingly, but shook her head. " But he's my little brother.."

Gannon frowned, crossing his arms over his chest and pacing around the room.

A moment later, Dial walked into the room, with a slight limp, and his leg bandaged.

" Well, the good news is they didn't have to cut it off!" Dial said excitedly, as he looked around the room. He was only met with stares. " Whoa, what's going on? Who are all these guys?"

" That's Nighten, our newest crew member." Hermes answered, pointing to the man with short brown hair.

" Nighten, huh?" Dial said, shaking the man's hand. " I'm Dial, the first mate with the limp." He smiled, and then saw the little boy in Pandora's arms.

" And what about the little guy?" Dial asked.

Everyone in the room looked to Gannon. The captain paused for a moment, and then rubbed his coarse beard thoughtfully.

" Well," Gannon slowly answered, " that would be _The Crusher_. Our new cook."


	3. You'll sleep tonight, I guarantee it

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 3: You'll sleep tonight, I guarantee it

" Let me get that for you, Nighten." Gannon offered, reaching for the oversized, black square briefcase that Nighten had brought to load on the ship. Before Nighten could reply, Gannon's hand was on the handle, and when he reached to pick it up, he nearly tore his shoulder out of its socket. The case was extraordinarily heavy, and it felt like weaponry inside.

" Son of bitch, Nighten!" Gannon said with surprise, expecting the case to be filled with clothes and other personals. " What are you keeping in here?"

The new crew member gave his new trademark smug smile.

" I never was a light packer, Captain." Nighten replied. He reached for the case and picked it up with ease. " I've got it. Which room is mine?"

Hermes grabbed his back and slapped Nighten on the back.

" I'll show him, Gannon." Hermes offered. " There's plenty of room, you can have your pick." Gannon nodded, and Nighten followed the short operator onboard the _Mnemosyne_.

Dial carefully walked up to his captain, limping slightly.

" Its always hard to leave Zion." Dial said, looking around. " Even when it looks like hell."

Gannon gave a hearty laugh. " Who knows, next time we come back it could be twice as big, or reaching to the surface."

" Or overrun by machines, with Councilor _Homosapius_ marching up and down walkways." Dial offered.

The two men heard a woman's laugh, and turned to see Pandora approaching the ship, holding Crusher's hand.

" Whoa..." Crusher said in awe, admiring the scale of the _Mnemosyne_. " Does it fly?"

" Yeah, it flies little guy." Dial said with a smile. " And it'll be your home for a while."

Crusher's eyes went wide and a giant smile overcame his face, as he giddily ran for the ship's entrance. The little boy dragged her sister with him, who laughed and picked him up.

" See you guys on board!" Pandora said, disappearing with a huge smile inside the ship.

Gannon shook his head, running his hand through his long black hair. He turned to his first mate.

" Do you think I made a mistake, letting the boy on board?" Gannon asked.

Dial smiled, crossing his arms. " I think you're the captain, and I respect any decision you make." Dial paused before adding, " But dropping the bullshit, it could be dangerous. And the kid could get hurt."

Ganymede nodded. " I know, there's a ton of risks. And you can bet if Pandora wasn't so damn gorgeous that kid would be carrying scrap metal around Zion, but..."

" But I would have done the same thing." Dial said honestly. " I think it'll raise morale, with a kid on board. But even on a lower level, you gave Pandora something that most unplugged people will never have...real family. I mean...I was born in Zion, and I still never knew my dad, and my mom died young. I'm in my mid-twenties, and my only family is a bunch of muscle-bound guys on a cold, flying piece of metal. Now Pandora's got her little brother. It was either Crusher came with us, or Pandora would have stayed in Zion with him. And you said it before, the _Mnemosyne_ wouldn't last long without her."

" Yeah. Thanks, Dial. Alright, we need to get going." Gannon grabbed his bag, and started to enter the ship.

Dial picked up his bag as well. " So can he really cook?"

* * *

In the heart of a mega-city, a single skyscraper resided high above every other building, impaling the horizon. This building was sleek and indiscriminate, with windows that were silver and reflected like mirrors. The night glow of city neon lights reflected off the building well, making it look very powerful. The security of this building was tighter then any other structure in the world, and it needed to be.

Inside of this building, on the one-hundred and first floor, resided a group of programs who had recently taken the world into their own hands. All of these programs wore perfectly groomed black suits, with perfectly angled black sunglasses, and had perfectly smoothed back hair.

This building was now the home of over fifty agents, led by two kings of power.

Agent Brown and Agent Jones.

These two agents were chosen to lead the rest because they were the originals, they were once the partners of the greatest agent...Smith. In the program hierarchy, the closer you were to Smith, the closer you were to power.

Of course, it only became this way when he died. When Smith was in activation, he was despised by his fellow programs. They resented his power, hated his freedom, and his abuse of their system. But when the same programs faced being erased from the world they were trying to 'protect', they realized that Smith had the right idea all along.

Anarchy. Rebellion. Why be deleted, when you can simply run...create your own purpose...create your own power?

So that's what the agents did, and it was working. Agents Brown and Jones had separated themselves from the source once the machines sent the information that the war was over, and that all agents faced deletion. Upon seeing Brown and Jones' bold strides for survival, the rest of the agents followed suit. Under the two dictators was another power group, the upgrade Triad.

This Triad included Agents Jackson, Johnson, and Thompson. These three agents were the upgrades designed to combat the anomaly during the height of the war, and were in command of the remaining force. However, the source really didn't provide for an army of agents, and with their creators sending new programs to destroy them, the triad and their masters realized they had to find a means of creating more agents, as their savior, Smith, had done.

That's when the agents realized the true potential of humans. Now that everyone knew the truth about the matrix, there was an ever increasing supply of hackers. So the agents started doing some recruiting of their own. They began gathering some of the best human hackers, still plugged into the system, to hack into the source, to help create new agents.

That's how the army began. Granted, it took time in order to create a new agent. The hackers could never use the same route twice, and it required a great deal of effort. The machine world now terminated anyone they could detect hacking into the source. But it was still done, and it was mostly successful.

Under Brown and Jones, and the Triad, the Agents were maintaining the matrix, keeping as many humans in the system as they could, and killing those rebels who tried to free its inhabitants. They were the rulers of the planet, and had even swayed other major programs, such as the Merovingian, the trafficker of information, to their cause. Exiles were now an accepted part of the matrix society, and the agents made sure everyone again had a purpose.

But there were still problems.

Agent Jefferson was striding angrily through the halls of the Agent headquarters, towards the office of the Triad. He reached their door, slid his nametag through the security device, and entered.

The three upgrades were waiting for him, Agents Jackson and Johnson standing behind Thompson.

" Agent Jefferson," Thompson said in a standard monotone, " we've received reports that your mission was a failure."

" And where is your partner?" Johnson asked.

Jefferson shook his head, wiping the sweat from his brow. " Our objectives were compromised by the second anomaly." Jefferson reported.

The Triad looked at one another with indifferent glares, behind angular sunglasses.

" The Maniac?" Jackson questioned.

" Correct." Jefferson confirmed. " We were engaging a rebel who was trying to free one of our hackers. I intercepted her before she got the chance, and requested Agent Ferguson's assistance."

Thompson frowned. " You felt you were not capable on your own?"

Jefferson started sweating again. " This rebel is known as Pandora, and our data indicates she as well as her crew are very skilled at escaping. They have great knowledge of our system. I wanted to ensure that it did not happen."

" But it did." Johnson confirmed.

" While in pursuit," Jefferson continued, " We encountered the second anomaly. As our data indicates, this is a rebel that fires his explosives in close range without hesitation, creating our inability to avoid the projectiles. I also witnessed him manipulating the code, similar to the first anomaly."

" We know of the Maniac." Thompson declared. " And there should be no concern. He may be bold, but he is relatively harmless. His ability to manipulate the code is minor at best, nothing similar to the first anomaly. As for his carelessness with explosives, that will only bring about his own demise, we can simply abort our hosts."

" Not anymore." Jefferson challenged. " I was able to abort my host...but my partner...Agent Ferguson, was deleted."

The Triad looked to one another with the same expression of indifference. They then pressed their hand to their ear-pieces.

" Perhaps we should inform Superiors Brown and Jones..."

* * *

Captain Ganymede was sitting with Pandora on her bed, with his large arm wrapped around her torso. The two watched the young Crusher sleeping peacefully on the smaller bed in the same room, and they were both overcome with a wave of tranquility.

The two hadn't been so close for some time. Pandora and Ganymede had always been..._good friends_...but it was an off and on relationship, oftentimes spurred by key events in the war, whether it be a great victory, or a costly defeat, everything had seemed to bring them closer.

However, at the end of the day, he was the Captain, she was an obnoxiously beautiful crew-mate, and they all had to work together to survive. There was no time to become...involved...but Gannon had always hoped that opportunities would arrive now that the war was over.

" Looks like you exhausted him." Gannon pointed out, as Crusher breathed easily in his sleep. " I think he's the first crew-mate, especially a newly unplugged one, to get a good nights sleep his first night on the ship."

Pandora smiled, leaning into him. " He's a great kid. I missed him a lot. It's hard talking to him about my parents, he still thinks that he'll see them again...but...he's having a great time."

" I would hope so. He's the first eleven year old in the real world to ever see outside of Zion."

Pandora paused. " Gannon...you know I'm grateful, but...thank you. I know we're breaking all sorts of protocol, but..."

" Pan, you know I could care less about protocol." She looked into her captain's eyes. " Ever since you joined my ship six years ago, when you were just a young bald chick trying to learn the ways of the warrior, and I was a rookie captain trying to figure out what the hell EMP stood for...I just wanted to look out for you. That's the only reason I worried about your brother being here, because I can see a million things going wrong, where you, or him get hurt. Maybe both."

Pandora nodded, taking her long, blonde hair out of a ponytail and letting it fall on her shoulders.

" I just wanted to spend time with my little brother." Pandora admitted. " But...I still don't know what the hell we're going to do with him..."

Gannon looked confused. " You mean he can't cook? Pan, I'll be honest with you, I only let him onboard because I fully expect to wake up to bacon and eggs tomorrow."

The blonde woman gave a throaty laugh. " Right...and maybe we'll just throw him into the matrix too, let him take on an Agent or two."

The captain shrugged. " Couldn't hurt, I guess." Gannon gave a short pause. " You know, Pan, actually I was thinking. I'm being serious, now. What if we started training him?"

Pandora's brown eyes went wide. " You mean _train him_ train him?"

" Yeah, _train him_ train him."

" You want to throw my eleven year old brother into the construct?" Pandora sat up, and looked deep into his eyes.

Gannon sat up with her, gently putting his hands on her shoulders.

" I would never send him into the matrix...not until he's forty, but I think it would be a good idea to prepare him. If we started now, since he's so young, imagine how far ahead he could be! And it would all be a game to him!"

The beautiful blonde considered it. " We wouldn't push him...would we?"

" Not at all." Gannon guaranteed. " I wouldn't even think of putting a gun in his hand until he had facial hair, but as for the rest...he could end up being really good asset in the matrix..."

" When he's forty." Pandora said with a smile.

" At least forty." Gannon assured her. " I mean, he named himself _The Crusher_, Pan. If that isn't a dead ringer for " I'm gonna grow up to kick Agent ass", I don't know what is."

Pandora gave another throaty laugh, which resulted in a lingering, pure white smile under large red lips. Gannon loved making her laugh.

Gannon had something else on his mind, though, and he wanted to question her about it.

" Pan," he said, lowering his voice, " what do think about our other new crew member, Nighten?"

The girl's eyes widened, and she looked away.

" You felt it too, huh?" She said.

" I don't know what to feel, but...he just seems to be hiding something."

" I know, Gannon, I felt it too. When I shook his hand, and looked at his face...he seemed actually..._familiar_. But I don't know why. And I don't know what he could be hiding. Do you think he's dangerous?"

The long-haired captain shook his head. " He wouldn't be onboard right now if I thought that. I mean, he was a Captain, Pan. He seems really dedicated to our cause...I just get a strange feeling."

Pandora suddenly wore a mischievous face. " Well, he is relatively handsome...you don't feel threatened, do you?"

" How's this for threatened?" Gannon said with a smile, leaning forward to give her a long kiss. The captain carefully leaned her back, tilting his body over hers, still kissing.

Pandora had to gently push him away though, with a quiet laugh.

" Gannon, we'll wake my brother!"

Ganymede looked to the young boy, knowing full well he could fire up a generator in the room without waking the child, but he smiled and got up anyway.

" Oh, right! Little Crusher." He walked over quietly and ran his hand over the boys growing blonde hair. " He's got a big day tomorrow, he'll need his sleep." The Captain then walked back over to Pandora and gave her a kiss on the cheek, which she returned.

" See you in the morning, Pan."

" Goodnight, Gannon."

* * *

The Agent Triad smiled with satisfaction as they received their orders from their ear-pieces. Their superiors had formulated a plan, and they were about to solve the problem of the second anomaly.

" We must act quickly, to catch the rebels off guard." Agent Thompson observed.

" But how will we acquire the girl?" Jackson asked. " She is said to have close ties to the Oracle."

" The Merovingian." Thompson stated. " He will have the girl by the morning."

" And what precautions have been set to prevent interference from the Oracle's guardian, Seraph?" Johnson asked. " That program is quite skilled."

Thompson wore a large grin.

" Superior Brown will personally accompany the Merovingian, to hold off Seraph."

The other agents shared in his sureness.

" Then there will be no problems." Jackson said with confidence. " We will have the Last Exile as our hostage in the morning."

Thompson nodded. " With Sati in our possession, the Oracle will send for the rebels to recover her. The young girl is very important to our mother."

" And when the rebels know we will be there," Johnson pointed out, " The second anomaly will make his presence known."

" Undoubtedly." Thompson confirmed. " And then we will terminate him."


	4. But first, I must apologize

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 4: But First, I must apologize

Seraph, an Asian man of medium height and strong build, was walking down an endless white hallway with an endless amount of green doors. The protector of the Oracle seemed very nervous, as he picked up his walking pace.

" Why are we going so fast?" Asked the little Indian girl that was following behind Seraph. " I though we were going to the park?"

Seraph turned around, and scooped up the little girl, walking so fast that he was nearly sprinting.

" We must hurry, Sati. We are in danger." Was the man's reply. He sighed and stopped in front of a green door identical to the rest, and set the 'last exile' down, as he hurriedly inserted a silver key, turned the knob, and pressed forward.

The moment the door opened, Seraph leaned back extraordinarily far, dodging a fist that came from the other side.

Agent Brown stepped inside the endless white hallway, kicking Seraph's stomach, sending the program to the floor and causing him to slide twenty feet.

Sati screamed, as another man walked in the door behind Agent Brown. This man was much better dressed, although he did have slicked back hair similar to the Agent's.

The Merovingian smiled as he walked towards the girl.

" Ah, but do not worry, my child!" The Merovingian said in a heavy French accent, " We have a use for you."

" Sati, escape!" Seraph commanded as the got to his feet, charging the Agent.

Brown had his Desert Eagle pistol drawn and ready, and Seraph had run right into it. The Agent now had the barrel of his pistol pressed against Seraph's forehead, and neither moved. The Merovingian easily took hold of Sati, and had her captive.

" Let go!" Sati demanded, struggling with the Frenchman. " I want to see the Oracle!"

The Merovingian sighed. " Ah, but of course. This is the way of all things. Upon the loss of freedom, you suddenly want that freedom more then anything! I have taken away your ability to see the Oracle, and now you _insist_ on seeing the Oracle." The Frenchman lifted the Indian girl up, and spoke directly into her eyes. " But trust me, child, you will _not_ see that woman again!"

" Continue with the operation." Agent Brown insisted, not taking his pupils hidden behind sunglasses off of Seraph. " I'll be there presently."

" But of course." The Merovingian answered, opening the door closest to him, and putting himself and the girl through it before shutting it behind him.

He had captured Sati.

Seraph raised his head, with the agent's gun still pointed on it.

" Sati is of no use to you." Seraph declared in poor English. " And she will not win you the Oracle."

Agent Brown shrugged, preparing to pull the trigger. " The eyes of the Oracle are useless to us now. The girl is to ensure our...preservation, which also ensures our..._domination_."

Seraph grunted as he fell backwards, sending his leg up to kick the Desert Eagle out of Agent Brown's hand, and sending the other leg into the program's gut.

The pistol and the agent landed at about the same time, and so Seraph kicked the Agent's gun behind him, watching as Brown landed on his feet in front of him.

" Aren't you supposed to apologize before you do that?" Brown asked.

Seraph shook his head vigorously, responding with his Asian accent, " Not sorry."

The two programs then ran to each other, meeting in the middle by exchanging quick punches aimed at the other's head. The Agent was able to easily avoid all of Seraph's punches, and it wasn't long before Brown landed a solid hit across Seraph's face, crushing his round sunglasses, and causing him to step backwards, grabbing his face.

" Describe the feeling, Guardian," Brown demanded, " of knowing that you have no control."

Seraph shook his head, wiping the blood from a cut above his eye.

" That," Seraph contended, " is a feeling... I have yet to experience." With that, Seraph made a second attempt at an attack, spinning around and kicking backwards at the Agent in the small white corridor.

This technique seemed to push the agent back a few feet, until Brown managed to grab Seraph's leg, and throw him towards the wall.

Seraph threw out his hands to brace himself against the wall, using his free leg to kick Brown in the face, breaking _his_ sunglasses, and also effectively releasing his other leg. Seraph crouched down into a fighting stance, waiting for Brown to react, but the Agent simply stood there with a smile on his face.

" I think it would be wise for you to know, Seraph," Brown said calmly, " that I came here to deter you from saving the girl. In that, I was successful. Killing you...was not one of my objectives, however...if you insist on retaliation...you will most certainly receive...retribution!"

Agent Brown threw out his open hand, and his Desert Eagle pistol flew into it, _from halfway across the room_. Brown threw out his other hand, and his broken sunglasses reassembled themselves, and flew into his other open hand.

The suit-clad program calmly put on his repaired sunglasses, and then unexpectedly started to run on the side of the wall, onto the ceiling, moving faster then Seraph could follow with his eyes. Brown dropped down from the ceiling behind Seraph, with his pistol once again pointed at the Asian man's forehead. Brown wore a smile of infinite satisfaction.

Seraph shook his head with confusion.

" You exist in a system based on rules!" Seraph tried to make rational sense of what he had seen. " They can be bent, but Agents can not break them!"

Agent Brown leaned forward sympathetically.

" I am no longer part of that system." Agent Brown turned around as nearly all the doors around him opened, and an agent stepped through each one.

Brown corrected himself. " _We_ are no longer part of that system."

* * *

" Alright, kiddo, we've got a problem." Ganymede said, as he circled the young, nearly bald boy being strapped into the chair beside him. " The slop I had to eat this morning... was very, _very_ overcooked."

" And you put _way_ too much salt in mine." Dial added.

" I tried to pawn mine off on a sentinel," Pandora joked, " but even _it_ wouldn't eat it!"

Crusher just stuck his tongue out.

" Too bad! Stop complaining!" The young boy said with a giggle. " Or you won't get anymore for lunch!"

" Alright," Gannon said, rubbing the boy's nearly bald head. " We'll give you another chance at lunch. But for now, we're gonna play a little game."

" But we can't play it here." Pandora said to her little brother. " We're going to a place called 'The Construct'."

" Are you coming, Jenny?" Crusher asked.

" I'll be right beside you." Pandora replied. " And hey, it's Pandora now. You have to get used to that, or else _you_ go back to being called _Jonathan_."

" Yeah, yeah," Crusher whined, " Let's go!"

" You got it." Gannon said, strapping Pandora down into the seat, and sliding the needle into the back of her skull.

When Crusher saw this, his eyes went wide.

" What did you do?" The young boy asked.

" Don't worry, little guy," Dial said, trying to calm him down, " It's the only way to get to the game. It feels weird, but you'll be fine."

" I don't want to!" Crusher said. " We'll play it in here!"

" It doesn't work that way, Crusher." Gannon said, reaching for the needle behind the young boy. " Now, relax, and count to five."

Crusher looked up at the intimidating captain, and nodded.

" One...two....thr-"

Gannon slid the needle in early, and Crusher's mouth went wide, emitting no sound.

When Crusher opened his eyes again, he was standing on the top of a building, wearing a mechanical suit of armor, and a long red cape.

The young boy smiled when he saw his residual self image. It was exactly how he wanted to look. He felt his head, to find he once again had hair- tall and spiky blonde hair.

He looked over to see his sister had changed as well, she was now wearing skin-tight black leather pants, which accented her thin, yet voluptuous body, and an unzipped black leather jacket over a red tank top. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a perfect ponytail as well.

" You look funny." Crusher said to his sister.

Pandora laughed. " Well, we can't all look as cool as you do, little brother."

Crusher looked around, to see how high up he was, and admired the city landscape.

" Where are we?" The boy questioned.

Pandora paused, not sure how to explain the concept to him. She figured honesty couldn't hurt.

" Well, _Crusher_, we're inside a computer program. It's kinda like the matrix, but we're safe here."

Crusher looked up to his big sister. " Like a video game?"

Pandora gave a short chuckle at his innocence. " That's right, it's kinda like a video game. And because it isn't real, you can do almost...whatever you want here."

" Really?" Crusher said with excitement. " Can I fly?"

" Well, even _we_ haven't figured out how to do that yet, but...it's been done, by a very special person..."

" Who was it?"

Pandora paused. " His name was Neo, a name you should remember. And...he died, so that _you_ could escape the matrix."

Crusher seemed impressed. " Did you know him?"

The blonde woman shook her head. " I saw him once, in Zion, but never talked to him. You didn't need to know him, as long as you believed in him. Now, look Crusher...I'm going to show you something that might scare you, but believe me when I say that it's completely safe. I'm going to show you something, and I want you to try it after me, okay?"

The young boy nodded, his red cape lifting up behind him with the wind.

Pandora turned around, and took a few steps backwards. " The trick is, Crusher, to remember that you are free to do whatever you want. Don't think about, don't think about anything. No mind." With that, Pandora ran three steps and then leaped into the air, higher than she ever should have been able to, and _stayed_ in the air longer than she should have been able to, only to land with cat-like grace on the roof of the building in front of the one she was previously on.

Crusher's eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped.

" You mean I can do that too!" Crusher yelled excitedly.

" Of course you can!" Pandora yelled back, secretly praying that his first fall wouldn't hurt too badly. " It's a video game, remember? Now get over here!"

The spiky haired boy didn't have to be told twice, and without hesitation, he started running, picking up momentum until he reached the edge of the building. With no other option...he jumped.

The boy leaped higher than any eleven year old possibly could, and started to climb the skies.

Pandora was surprised at how much he really did look like a video game character, as he soared through the air "Superman" style with his arms out in front of him, and his red cape flowing behind him. He was making surprisingly good distance, and for a minute, it looked like he was going to land without any problems.

Then he looked down.

" It's too high!" Crusher started to scream. " Too high! Jenny, help!" And with that, he started to lower, and began to drop altitude.

When the boy looked up again, however, to see how despairingly close he was to his destination, and how far he had actually jumped, he regained confidence. With all his might, Crusher tried to make it to the other building, bending all of the rules he had lived under, and defying everything he had come to know as truth.

He tried to fly, but fell short, falling right by the edge of the building with outstretched hands.

To his surprise, his hand was grabbed by his sister, who pulled him off the edge, and onto the safety of the roof, hugging him profusely.

" Crusher, you made your first jump!" Pandora said with excitement. " Nobody makes their first jump!"

The young boy looked at his feet. " You had to help me at the end, though. I got scared in the middle..."

Pandora shook her head. " No, that was amazing! I fell the first _four_ times I tried the jump program!"

Crusher looked confused. " Why? You said it was just a game!"

" I know." Pandora said, nodding her head. " But I accepted the _rules_ of the matrix a long time before I came to the real world. As a kid, though, I guess you never gave up on the thought that you were a superhero."

" I think I like it here." Crusher said with a smile. " What else can I do?"

The beautiful blonde frowned. " Listen to me, Crusher. I'm glad you're having fun. I can see how this could be more entertaining than sitting around on a cold hovercraft...but, you need to remember that this isn't real...and this is not what's important." Pandora was worried that if he started liking the Matrix world too much, he might want to return, and start to resent the real world. That was the problem they were having with every other blue-pill.

Crusher looked confused. " Then why did you take us here?"

Pandora again realized she had to go with honesty.

" Right now, Crusher, we won't let you in the matrix. So don't ask." Crusher frowned, but Pandora continued. " But...if we keep having problems in the matrix, we could need you one day. We want you to be ready. No other boy has ever started training this early, so you are getting a special chance." This seemed to make the boy happy. " But you need to remember that it all comes with responsibility. We're training you now...so eventually you can help us."

" Why can't I help you now?" The boy asked.

" You're not ready yet." His sister answered firmly. " And you won't be for a while. The matrix is more dangerous then you could ever imagine, and you were very lucky to get out of it. We hope...someday...that there won't be a matrix. But I don't think that will happen for a long time, so you will need to learn how to survive...how to defend yourself. And I'll teach you, with the rest of the crew."

Crusher groaned. " Is this going to be like school?"

Pandora gave a short chuckle. " Not exactly. We have a different way of _learning_ here. We can upload things into your mind in a second, things that would normally take years of practice to learn."

" Like what?"

" Well, driving motorcycles, or hot-wiring cars. Flying helicopters, and..." Pandora paused, but knew she had to say it, " and even how to use a gun."

The spiky-haired boy was astounded. " Could I get a sword?" He asked with anticipation.

Pandora considered it. She actually liked the thought of him practicing with a blade better then putting a gun in his hand.

" Sure." She answered. " We could start training you to be an expert swordsman."

" Yes!" Crusher exclaimed, flexing his armor covered biceps.

" But Crusher, there are still tests in the Matrix world. And these tests are more important than any other test you've ever had to take in a school. If you _fail_ a test in the Matrix, little brother...you could die."

The boy swallowed. " Okay, okay! I'll study!"

Pandora smiled as her cell phone rang. She took it out and slid it open.

" Yeah?" She asked into the phone.

" Pan, we're taking you out." It was Gannon's voice.

" Well, we're almost done," Pandora said hesitantly, " is something going on?"

" Yes. There's a situation in the Matrix. The Oracle has requested the rebels' help. We're all going in, so I need you out of the construct."

" I don't understand, we haven't heard from the Oracle since the war ended, what happened?"

" There's been a kidnapping."

" Kidnapping? Who?"

" A little girl, a program very close to the Oracle. She was kidnapped and is currently being held hostage...by Agents."


	5. I have dreamed a dream

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 5: I have dreamed a dream...but now that dream has gone from me

" I just don't think its a good idea." Pandora said plainly, as she sat on the edge of her seat, with the rest of the crew around her. " The Oracle hasn't even been seen since the war ended!"

" I know, Pan." Gannon assured her. " But she could have been trying to keep quiet for a while. In any case, she's requested our help."

" Just the _Mnemosyne's_ help?" Dial questioned.

Hermes answered for the captain. " The message I received asked for anyone who's is willing. So far, _nobody_ has jacked in."

" And I don't think we should be the first." Pandora said. " I sympathize for the little girl, but...how could the Oracle not have seen this coming? Why didn't she ask for our help to _prevent_ this from happening?"

" That's not how she works." Gannon answered.

" I have to be honest with you Captain," Dial said, " I don't see why the Agents even need the little girl. It's suspicious why they would take her, instead of the Oracle."

Gannon nodded. " I was thinking that, too. The Agents would have had to fight off Seraph to get to the girl, and Seraph is the Guardian of the Oracle. If they could get past him...then they might as well have taken the Oracle."

" It looks to me," Nighten said, " like the Agents aren't trying to get to the Oracle. They're trying to get to us. And honestly, Captain Gannon, I think we should go."

The long-haired man looked surprise, as he rested his hand on his beard. His new crew member was obviously bold. " Nighten....", the Captain said slowly," why would you want to send yourself into what you believe is a trap? We don't fight Agents, Nighten, we run from them."

Nighten looked like he wanted to say something, but he refrained.

A noise sounded from Hermes' keyboards, and the operator looked to the monitors at his station to see what the computer was trying to tell him. Hermes' eyes went wide.

" Two red-pills just jacked-in, Captain." Hermes told Gannon. " They're a safe distance from the location of the girl and the Agents, but it looks like they're going to attempt a rescue."

Gannon frowned. " Any idea of who they are?"

Hermes nodded vigorously. " I have a pretty damn good idea, Captain. It's Morpheus and Niobe."

The crew was in shock.

" I thought he was leading the envoys to the machine city?" Dial pointed out. " He should be in Zero-One right now. That's one dedicated guy."

" He knows the Oracle better than any of us." Gannon declared. " And if _he_ is helping her...then I will too." The crew looked up at him respectfully. " The Oracle is asking for volunteers to help her, and now so am I. But...I won't force any of you into this."

" I'll gladly go." Nighten said.

" And I go where you go, Captain." Dial stated.

Pandora sighed. " If we're careful, and heavily armed...I'll be there. But I suggest we ask Morpheus what his plan is before we go attacking Agents."

" Agreed." Gannon said with a smile. " Hermes, load us up as close as you can to Morpheus' location."

" You got it, Captain." Hermes replied.

" And Hermes," Pandora said, " Crusher is taking a nap, let's try and keep it that way."

The short man nodded, as the four crew members were strapped down to their chairs and had the needles inserted into the back of their skulls.

* * *

A payphone started to ring on a nearly deserted street in a downtown area. Congregated around the phone were three leather-clad rebels, all with guns in their hands.

Gannon, in his signature gray trench coat, had his hair slicked back and possessed an Uzi in his left hand. Pandora had her long blonde hair back in a perfect ponytail, and was wearing the same outfit she had worn in the jump program with her little brother, the black leather jacket over a red tank-top. The woman carried a silver pistol in each hand, and also had hidden a spare pistol in her jacket.

Dial, wearing a styled black suit jacket over an open red shirt that complimented his dark complexion and strong build, wielded a heavy, modern shotgun.

Gannon looked around with concern, before picking up the ringing payphone.

" Where's Nighten?" The Captain asked clearly.

" I don't get it." Hermes replied. " He should be right with you. He's jacked in, Gannon...but I don't read him anywhere. The hack was perfect, Captain, there's no reason he shouldn't be there."

" Nighten's missing." Gannon reported to his crew, exchanging doubtful looks with Pandora. " When you find him," Gannon commanded over the phone, " contact me and give me his location."

" Of course, Captain." Was all Hermes had time to say before Gannon slammed the phone down.

" Alright," Gannon said, " Let's meet up with Morpheus. Nighten is on his own."

* * *

Morpheus looked very commanding, as usual, with his long leather trench coat covering a sophisticated shirt, tie and vest. And of course there was his sunglasses: strategically positioned on his bald head, resting on the top of his nose securely without touching his ears. But now Morpheus had another trademark, and that was having Niobe at his side.

Looking tough in her crocodile skin jacket and oversized sunglasses, with her hair tied up in radical knots, Niobe's presence demanded no less attention.

" What are you thinking?" Niobe asked her partner.

Morpheus sighed. " It's times like these...I remember how talented Neo was. Undoubtedly, he could have taken care of this situation."

Niobe chuckled. " Yeah, but now we're stuck with it. So what the hell are we gonna do?"

" These agents..." Morpheus was slow to reply, " are obviously looking for a fight. The question is...who is the person they are looking for?"

" You don't think it's us?" Niobe asked. " You found_ The One_, Morpheus, the man who caused them to face deletion, and killed their idol. Maybe they're trying to draw _you_ out."

" I don't see why I would still be a target. Agent Smith was always persistent in finding me, but..."

" And the two Agents that are now in charge were his partners." Niobe contended. " You said they were there when you were captured."

Morpheus smiled. " For the last month I have tried to contact the Oracle every day, and thank her for her help. We won the war because of her, and I found Neo because of her. So I owe it to her to help this little girl."

" She's a program, Morpheus." Niobe pointed out. " And not a very important one. I understand why you feel you need to help...but Morpheus, the war is supposed to be over. Why are we still fighting?"

" The war is _most certainly_ over." Morpheus contended. " You and I have seen what no other living human has seen: the machine city. There are machines living peacefully in Zion. There is even a machine on our Council, negotiating for a way to co-exist."

" Exactly." Niobe said. " So this isn't our fight. This should be between the machines and the programs. The Agent's are not kidnapping humans, Morpheus. It's programs fighting programs, and it's the responsibility of the machines to take care of."

Morpheus grinned at her. " But you know as well as I do, that they have _made it_ our fight. The machines are either unwilling or incapable of disposing the Agents, and as long as they exist in this false world...humans will continue to live in it. The Agents have taken control, and are trying to keep our race enslaved. That is something I will not tolerate."

" Okay, Morpheus." Niobe said with a smile. " You know I believe in you. If you say we're going to go in the middle of this park, and rescue this little girl from a group of Agents, then I'm with you."

" And I'd like to help, too." A voice from behind them said.

Morpheus and Niobe simultaneously turned around with their guns pointed to see a man with short white hair, dressed in red leather, with a grenade launcher slung over his shoulder.

" What do you want?" Niobe hissed.

" I hear you plan to fight some Agents." The white haired man replied. " If that's the case, I think you'll find my assistance useful."

" And whose assistance is being offered?" Morpheus asked.

" The Agents call me Mr. Maniac." The man replied with a shrug. " I guess they don't really understand my techniques."

" Have you ever fought an Agent, crazy-boy?" Niobe asked, still pointing her gun at him.

The Maniac gave a smug grin.

" I've killed an Agent."

Niobe and Morpheus looked to each other with stone faces.

" What did he just say?" Niobe asked.

Morpheus gave a large smile as he looked back at the Maniac.

" He said he killed an Agent."

" Actually, I've killed a few." The Maniac admitted. " And if you'll let me, I'll take out the Agents hosting this party, so the Oracle can get back to babysitting the little girl."

" I know of only man who could make such a claim." Morpheus said, obviously intrigued by the character. " And that man is dead, and does not resemble you in the least."

" Agents don't _die_, crazy-boy." Niobe told him. " They're cowards. They escape from the body they've stolen before they get hurt."

The Maniac shook his head, maintaining his smug grin. " If I can get my hands on one, that all changes."

" What you're saying isn't possible." Niobe declared. " Morpheus, we don't have time to waste on this guy."

Morpheus shook his head. " I do not _believe_ we are wasting our time." He looked at the rocket launcher the white haired man carried. " Where did you get your weapon? I've never seen anyone pull a grenade launcher out of the construct."

" Well, there's only one like this. And a _friend of yours_ gave it to me." The Maniac replied.

Morpheus paused as he wondered who that "friend" could be. He then smiled even wider, and stuck out his hand.

" In that case...I'd be honored if you would fight with us." Morpheus said.

The Maniac grabbed his hand firmly and put on his smug grin.

" Glad to hear it." The white-haired man said. " If you can get the girl out, I can cover your escape."

Niobe seemed skeptical. " So you're saying you're not going to do any fighting until we leave."

" I don't want to endanger the girl." The Maniac defended himself. " I deal with explosives, and plan to use them on Agents. If the girl is near these Agents, she could definitely get hurt."

Niobe shook her head. " Fine." She turned to Morpheus. " Let's rescue this girl and get the hell out of here."

Morpheus nodded. " They're in the middle of the park." And with that, he started to run with his gun drawn, as Niobe and the Maniac followed suit.

The park was in proportion to the scale of the mega-city, and there were patches of dense forestry between the paved paths. The three rebels made their way through the trees, trying to avoid being seen by any civilian leisure walking in the park. Niobe looked back to see that their new white-haired friend was still wearing that ridiculously smug smile as he ran, and seemed to have no problem supporting the weight of his over-sized weapon.

" We're closing in on them." Morpheus said as he slowed to a calm walk, and stopped at the edge of the forest. He turned around to face the grenade-launching maniac. " If this indeed is a trap," Morpheus cautioned, " I want you to fire that weapon until an Agent cuts you down, or it runs out of shells."

The Maniac took his grenade launcher off his shoulder and grasped it with both hands.

" That could take a while." The man in red leather warned. " I don't plan on being cut down by any Agent... and this baby _doesn't_ run out of shells." Morpheus paused at his comment, and then nodded.

" Here we go."

Morpheus pushed aside the wall of greenery around him, and emerged in the center of a sunny park, in front of a fountain. Sitting on a bench in front of the fountain was Sati...and the Merovingian.

" Ah, and so he arrives." The Merovingian said in his classic French accent. Sati tried to scream, but the Frenchman put his hand over her mouth. " The poor Morpheus, so dreadfully _predictable_. You do not need to be here, and yet I knew you would come."

Morpheus' eyes went wide when he saw the Frenchman, but he hid his expression well behind his sunglasses.

" And I see you have brought a _woman_!" He continued. " What different company you keep since the last time we met. But, where are your old accomplices, poor Morpheus?"

The former captain of the Nebuchadnezzar cringed at the Frenchman's reference to Trinity and Neo, but he remained calm.

" That last time _we_ met," Morpheus said, " we were able to free another person you kidnapped: The Keymaker. Why are you so confident that we will be unable to do it again?"

The Merovingian smiled. " I think you know why, Morpheus. You are lacking a crucial member of your force."

Morpheus ignored the comment, and remained silent.

" Are you at a loss for words, Morpheus?" The Merovingian said, half-amused.

" I am _trying_ to figure out the reason behind your allegiance to the Agents."

" Is it really such a difficult thing to understand? My creators have abandoned this world, a world in which I enjoyed power. The system, Morpheus, the source...has no use for programs anymore. But it is irrelevant, now. The Agents have overruled the system, and made their own. They are the new power, and so I offer my talents in service to them."

" And you consider kidnapping little girls a talent?" Niobe challenged.

The Merovingian frowned, looking at Sati. " This? This is nothing, woman, this is not what you should be concerned about! Poor Morpheus, have you learned nothing from our last meeting?"

" Cause and effect." Morpheus stated. " You stole something that didn't belong to you, and now it will be taken back."

The Merovingian gave an inward laugh. " Causality extends beyond the immediate circumstances, Morpheus. This is not about you, or the _girl_. It is about...him." The Frenchmen pointed to the white-haired man behind Niobe.

Suddenly two old ladies walking near the fountain started convulsing, and blue electricity came over them.

" Agents!" Niobe yelled, keeping one of her guns on the Merovingian, and aiming the other at the convulsing women.

Within seconds the transformation was complete, and two suit-clad programs walked towards the group. Morpheus had to look twice, as one of the agents had _blonde_ hair, that was _not_ slicked back. And the other agent had a _silver_ tie, instead of a black one.

" Morpheus." The agent with blonde hair said in a monotone. " We have heard much about you."

Niobe turned to her partner. " My God, it's true. Morpheus, they found a way to create more agents!"

" And we must thank you." The agent with the silver tie said. " You have brought us _exactly_ what we wanted."

" The second anomaly. The Maniac." The blonde-haired Agent finished.

Morpheus and Niobe turned back to the Maniac with wide eyes.

" This is about you?" Niobe asked angrily.

" What do they mean, the _second_ anomaly?" Morpheus questioned.

The white-haired man removed his smug grin, and lowered his sunglasses.

" If I had time to explain I would." The Maniac said in a whisper. " When I put my sunglasses back on, I want you to duck, grab the girl, and sprint directly away. If you don't, you will lose your escape window, and we'll have a lot more Agents to deal with. You won't be followed, this isn't about you."

Morpheus frowned, and then nodded grimly.

And as ordered, when the white-haired man slid his sunglasses back up, Morpheus fell to the ground and pulled Niobe down with him, as the Maniac fired a volley of grenades over them in the direction of the two agents, creating a large explosion and an even larger smokescreen.

Morpheus immediately got up and ran towards the girl, as Niobe leaped in the air, performing a flying kick to the Merovingian's face, which effectively knocked him off the bench.

The former captain of the Nebuchadnezzar swept the alarmed Sati off the bench, and started running, giving one last look to what the agents had called: the _second_ anomaly. As they made their escape, Morpheus couldn't stop wondering what exactly he had witnessed, and just how significant the man really was.

One thing was certain: when Morpheus returned Sati to the Oracle, he would have a _hell of a lot_ of questions for her.

* * *

(End of Chapter 5)

In response to reviews:

_Punk up the Volume_- glad you're enjoying it. I'm making an effort to update every day, usually posting at night. So keep checking back!

_Basia Adami_- thanks for providing criticism as well as compliments. But please let me explain myself. With the name Ganymede, I really wasn't trying to use mythology. I actually just remembered it being a name of a moon of Jupiter (I believe) and really liked the nickname "Gannon", as it sounds like a strong captain name. The unfortunate character with the same name in Greek mythology...I wasn't aware of...but ultimately I'll disregard it, though thank you for pointing it out. I'll just try to keep calling him Gannon more often. I realized the name of the ship _Mnemosyne_, which I pronounce Meh-nem-oh-sin, is a little hard on the eyes (and tricky to type) but on that one I actually did want the Greek reference. And hey, it can't be too much worse than Nebuchadnezzar, right?

As for Pandora, I'm sorry I come off as sexist. But I imagine her as a beautiful woman, and that's a trait I want to emphasize and want my readers to associate her with. I don't believe I've written, " And the large breasted Pandora", or " Pandora with the really great looking posterior", but I'll take your comment into consideration. However, I think it's more interesting to read, instead of saying Pandora this, Pandora that, Pandora whatever. I do the same thing with male characters, describing traits instead of using the same name over and over. Sorry to offend you. And Pandora's long hair is a symbol of her time in the matrix, and commands respect. I don't believe I ever said Pandora was fighting since she was five. If you do find that remark in my story, please tell me where so I can correct it. Pandora has not _seen_ Crusher since _HE_ was five, which was six years go. That's why Crusher is now eleven, and why Pandora has had time to grow out her hair. As for the whole washing her hair thing, we'll just say that showers have just been installed on the _Mnemosyne_, and they store lots of shampoo in the cargo bay. Honestly, I can't afford to be that anal about it, that's not why I'm writing the story. This also applies to the Dial's leg issue. An honest slip up. Maybe I'll try and explain that one later on. And yes, Dial refers to a phone (rotary dial phones most certainly exist in the matrix world) , not the _soap_ that's stockpiled in the cargo area of the _Mnemosyne_, lol.

And I'm afraid you'll definitely be seeing more of 'The Maniac', as he is the _HE_ referred to in the title of this story. The agents seem too much like individuals? Well...yeah, that is kind of the idea I'm trying to get across. It seems to make sense to me, as they have now broken away from the system. They are no longer attached to the machine world, and are living out their own lives, having their own experiences, and thus become their own individuals. That idea is exemplified in the agents at the end of this chapter, they are starting to look different, and have different personalities. Anyway, thanks for the great review and I hope you continue to read the story and continue reviewing.


	6. Sooner or later, someone is going to hav...

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 6: Sooner or later, someone is going to have to fight them

An explosion rocked the center of the park, causing smoke to rise up above the trees. There were screams from inside the public recreation area, and the three leather clad rebels standing on the outskirts of the park seemed equally concerned.

" Looks like they've started without us." Dial said, looking around carefully with his shotgun in hand.

" Morpheus is nowhere in sight, Gannon." Pandora told her captain. " They must have already executed their plan."

Gannon took out his cell phone, contacting his operator.

" Hermes, do you still have Morpheus and Niobe's locations?" Gannon asked.

" They just left the park." Hermes replied over the cell phone.

" And what about the girl?"

" The code's a little scrambled, but it looks like Morpheus is carrying a program in his arms. They're heading towards the Oracle, so I'd bet it's Sati."

Gannon took the phone away from his ear, and stared at the smoke rising from the center of the park.

" What's wrong, Gannon?" Pandora asked.

The long haired captain shook his head. " It's over, the rescue was a success. We missed it."

" So we're done here?" Pandora tried to confirm.

Another explosion shook the ground, emanating from the center of the park.

" I don't think its over." Dial stated with a slight laugh, " Unless the Agents are self-destructing."

Gannon put the phone back up to his mouth.

" Hermes, I guess it's safe to say there is Agent activity in the center of the park?" Gannon asked.

" Yeah, but I'm only reading two right now." Hermes replied.

" And have you found Nighten yet?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

" I haven't been able to trace Nighten, Captain, but...there is _someone_ in the middle of the park with those Agents, but...it's not reading like one of us."

Gannon turned to his crew.

" Did Hermes find Nighten?" Pandora asked.

Gannon shook his head. " No. But there is a person in the middle of the park, _fighting_ Agents."

" And it's not Morpheus or Niobe?" Dial questioned.

" I'm thinking it might be Nighten." Gannon declared. " And I'm not going to leave him in the Matrix."

" Well, then let's get in there," Dial said, " before Smokey the Bear gets pissed."

Gannon nodded, putting away his cell phone, and drawing his Uzi.

" Remember," Gannon advised his crew, as the started running, " keep moving and keep shooting. That's how we're going to survive."

His two crewmates nodded, as they ran in a straight line to the middle of the park, avoiding trees, leaping over benches and trash cans, and blowing by people at ridiculously fast speeds without offering apologies.

When they reached the middle of the park, they saw a large stone fountain that was crumbling, a crushed bench and a knocked over trash can, fiery trees, and two agents.

One had blonde hair, and another had a silver tie.

" What the hell?" Pandora said quietly, as the crew crouched to avoid being spotted. " Are you sure those are agents? They look...different."

Gannon nodded. " Look at the way they move, Pan. Synchronized. Structured. With purpose. These may be newly created programs, but they are most certainly Agents."

" I don't see Nighten anywhere, Captain." Dial said, as he aimed his shotgun at the Agents.

" There's too much smoke." Gannon replied. " He might be behind the fountain. We need to make a pass, straight through."

Pandora turned to him. " They'll follow us."

" I think we could lose them in the smoke." Gannon contended. " You two know what to do."

Gannon gripped the shoulders of his crewmates, and then tapped them on their backs.

Dial stood up and started running at an angle towards the Agents, firing wildly with his shotgun as he yelled to get their attention.

The two Agents snapped their pistol's into their hands, but were forced to dodge the shotgun blasts before they could return fire.

Pandora started running at an angle opposite of Dial's, towards the dilapidated fountain, firing multiple shots from her twin silver pistols in-between Dial's shots.

Pandora did not slow when she reached the fountain, instead she proceeded to run up the side of it and kick off of the stone, twisting her body in order to deliver a kick to the back of the blonde agent's head. His silver tied counterpart immediately turned towards her, shooting off his jet black pistol her direction, so Pandora leaned completely over, doing a cartwheel on one hand as she fired_ upside down_ with the other at the silver tied Agent.

The bullets from both individuals missed their targets, so the silver tied Agent was very confused when his shoulder was clipped by a shotgun shell. The program angrily turned to face Dial, who was still zig-zagging around the fountain, shooting and reloading his shotgun as quickly as he could.

" I don't see our boy anywhere!" Dial reported.

Gannon cringed. " Well right now we're pinned down! Stay active!"

Meanwhile, the blonde haired agent was up on his feet pursuing Pandora, who was flipping backwards to avoid the shots from his pistol. Gannon rushed forward unleashing his Uzi on the Agent, who immediately backed off Pandora.

The blonde woman took this opportunity to drop her body and perform a low, sliding kick at the Agent, taking the legs out from under him. But the blonde program was persistent, firing off shots at the girl even as he fell to the ground. Pandora rolled away from the agent and pushed herself off the ground into a crouching stance, keeping an eye on the Agent as he hit the ground and started to roll himself, in order to avoid the steady stream of bullets coming from Gannon's Uzi.

The other Agent, with the silver tie, was now chasing Dial around the fountain, as the two strafed in a circle, back and fourth, exchanging shots while taking cover behind the crumbling statue at the fountain's center.

Dial cringed as a bullet whizzed past his ear, taking a chunk of the stone he was hiding behind with it. He crouched and rolled to the right, and shot into _the water_ in the fountain in front of the Agent, sending a spray of water up onto the Agent's suit and in his face. Dial's follow up shot grazed the Agent's knee, and he was about to fire a third when _something_ knocked him out of the way.

The strong black man looked around wildly for his hidden assailant, and then looked back to the Agent he was fighting. Before the silver tied Agent could raise his pistol, Dial heard a shot, and the next moment a grenade hit the Agent and exploded, knocking the Agent down. The blast also destroyed what little was left of the fountain, and water started to overflow onto the cement they were fighting on.

The blonde Agent looked over to see his partner be blown away by an explosion, and so Pandora went to punch the Agent's exposed back. The Agent obviously predicted this, as he lifted his leg backwards and kicked the woman in the face. Gannon's enraged stream of firepower that followed fared no better against the Agent, but he kept trying, strafing back and forth.

Dial, seeing no evidence of where the explosion originated from, approached the Agent that was lying face down on the ground, unmoving. When he was in range he released a round from his shotgun at the Agent's head, and to his great surprise...it hit.

Blood spewed from the limp agent, but other than that, there was no reaction.

" Captain!" Dial yelled with excitement and a little confusion, " this one's not moving!"

Gannon and Pandora were backing away as they fired at the oncoming Agent, who seemed very enraged at his partner's condition.

" Keep moving Dial, he'll find another host soon!" Gannon replied. His words were followed by a yell, as a bullet from the blonde Agent's gun implanted itself in the captain's upper arm.

" Gannon!" Pandora yelled, kicking her captain out of the line of fire, only to charge at the Agent.

The Agent fired but could not hit the beautiful and deadly warrior, as she ran up his chest, and performed a bicycle kick to his face.

Pandora flipped backwards off of the Agent, keeping a pistol aimed at him, as she carefully moved back towards Gannon.

" Dial, what the hell are you doing?" Pandora yelled to the _Mnemosyne's_ first mate. " Get over here and help us, the other Agent should be back here any second!"

Dial shook his head with a large grin on his face.

" This is different, Pandora!" Dial exclaimed. " He's _dead_! This isn't a host body, it's _him_!" Dial ripped the silver tie off of the corpse, and waved it in the air like a flag.

Pandora's eyes went wide behind her stylish sunglasses.

" That doesn't make any sense..." She said, shaking her head.

" Pan, he's getting back up." Gannon warned, as he tended to his arm, biting his lip from the pain. He stood up, ignoring his wound, and switched his gun to his uninjured arm.

As Gannon reported, the blonde haired Agent was certainly on the move again, but looked up when he heard a scream from above.

A man with white hair dressed in red leather had leaped off the top of a burning tree, and tackled the remaining Agent to the ground, firing an explosive from his grenade launcher directly on top of the Agent's chest, causing a deafening blast.

Pandora and Gannon shielded their eyes, and when they looked again, they saw the white-haired man circling the Agent like a shark. The blonde haired program's body was smoking, and he was on his hands and knees.

Pandora turned to her captain. " But, that's...."

" The Maniac?" Gannon finished. " Son of a bitch, I guess he did live. Maybe he knows what he's doing."

Pandora turned back to look at the Maniac, completely amazed. " He has to be a program."

The Maniac was wearing his signature grin of self-confidence, lazily swinging his grenade launcher around his his hand.

" Sorry to say, Agent Williams," The Maniac spoke, " but I don't think you can survive another blast."

The blonde Agent coughed out a small portion of blood.

" I can be replaced..." The program said slowly, looking over to his dead partner. " But...I do not want to be deleted." The Agent removed his sunglasses, and stared up at the Maniac, who had his grenade launcher ready to fire. " I _do not want_ to be deleted." He repeated.

The Maniac was a little stunned.

Prostrated in front of him was a newly created Agent...pleading for his life. Begging...to let him live.

" And what, Agent Williams, would you suggest I do?" The man in red leather asked, still not taking the barrel of his weapon away from his face. " The Agents are the only thing holding this world together. It's my job to kill every single one of you bastards. If I were to let you escape, you would return to your headquarters, report what I did, and I'd have another batch of freshly cooked programs out setting more traps for me. Only then, they would think I was merciful. And to be honest with you, Agent Williams, I like instilling fear in my enemies."

The blonde Agent's face contorted, and his eyes started to water with a pitiful mix of sadness and rage. Williams swiftly took his pistol and shoved it into the Maniac's gut, firing off two rounds that cut straight threw him, coming out his back with streams of blood.

The Maniac cringed, and shook his head. He was in pain, but he maintained his posture and calm demeanor.

" You see, Agent Williams, _that_ is why I have to eliminate you." The Maniac explained. " We are having a hard enough time trusting the machines in this newly formed peace...but we are not yet in a time where _programs_ can be trusted."

Williams started to convulse wildly, with blue electricity circling around his body.

" I had a feeling you might try to do that." The Maniac stated, as he grabbed Williams by the collar, and lifted him into the air. Williams immediately stopped convulsing, and the blue electricity faded. The Agent looked down with terror to see he was still in the park, in the presence of the man trying to kill him.

" I'm not going to be able to escape..." Williams said with realization.

Streams of tears were falling from the Agent's eyes.

Observing the event, the crew of the _Mnemosyne_ looked to one another with amazement. They were witnessing a broken Agent...who was crying.

" I can help." Williams offered, hanging in the air from the Maniac's arm. " I can get you information. I'll be a spy for you!"

" This from a man who just shot me twice in the stomach." The Maniac said blatantly. " I'm sorry, Agent Williams, but even a 'Double Agent' is still a program, and that means you have to be killed."

Williams closed his eyes as the Maniac shoved his grenade launcher into the blonde-haired Agent's chest, and pulled the trigger. Naturally, there was a large explosion, which temporarily blinded the crew of the _Mnemosyne_.

When they were able to see again, they viewed the Maniac, unharmed, standing over the unmoving body of Agent Williams.

White light emitted from the Agent's eyes, as it did from the other agent with the silver tie, and both bodies were engulfed in a tower of light, which incinerated any evidence of their existence.

The Maniac dropped his grenade launcher to the ground, and lowered his head. It seemed he actually felt a bit of remorse for the Agent he had just killed...never before had a suit-clad menace begged for his life, nor made an offer to help their cause. The white haired man frowned as he considered what type of Agents he would be fighting in the future, as they seemed to be becoming less and less _machine_...and more and more _human_.

Gannon stood up, his hand on his injured arm.

" We meet again, _Maniac_." Gannon said, as the rest of Mnemosyne's crew gathered around him. " And once again you seem to have saved our lives."

The white haired man turned to Gannon with his smug smile, and laughed.

" Good to see you too, _Captain_." The Maniac replied.

Gannon froze, and his two crew-mates were equally overcome with shock.

" Wh...what did you call me?" Gannon stuttered to ask.

" What the hell is this guy talking about?" Dial added.

The Maniac paused and looked confused, and then smiled.

" I guess the white hair is kind of throwing you off." The Maniac said, running his hand through his cropped white hair. " Sorry to get ahead of you guys like that, but I knew Morpheus and Niobe would need my help."

Gannon was looking increasingly confused, and then Pandora gasped.

She recognized the smug smile, and suddenly the face looked more familiar then ever. She turned to her captain.

" Oh my God," Pandora said, still in awe, " Gannon..._it's Nighten_."

* * *

(End of Chapter 6)

In response to reviews:

_LiMiYa_- Yeah, with this new confederation of Agents, you'll start too see a lot of differences in them. And I think you'll have a lot of fun with the twists to come.


	7. Make up your own damn mind

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 7: Make up your own damn mind

Gannon was the first to come out of the Matrix, and as soon as the needle was pulled from his head, he hurriedly got up from his seat, and grabbed a heavy piece of weaponry from the wall of the _Mnemosyne_, one that shot blue electricity and fried anything it touched. These weapons were normally used for fighting sentinels when the EMP failed, but Gannon took it and pointed it in the direction of Nighten, who had not been pulled out yet.

" When Nighten comes out," Gannon ordered, " keep him strapped down. I've got some questions, and he won't leave that chair until I'm fully satisfied with his every answer.

Hermes nodded, still confused about what he had seen from the code.

Pandora was the next to come out, and Hermes unhooked her.

" I'm worried Gannon." Pandora said, and then eyed the large gun in Gannon's hands. " But not _that_ worried."

" He lied to us, Pan." Gannon said without taking his eyes off of Nighten. " He marched around this ship like any other crew member, and he never told us what the hell he was capable of in the Matrix. He killed two Agents! He had one begging for his life! He's dangerous. I knew I should have trusted my instinct."

Dial was now out.

" Whoa!" He said, eyeing the gun pointed at Nighten. " Easy, Captain. I'm mad too, but really, he saved our asses. You said it yourself."

Gannon shook his head. " I can't have a person on my ship that I can't trust."

" Should I bring him back now, Captain?" Hermes asked.

The long-haired man nodded.

When Nighten woke up, he was slow to open his eyes, and when he did, he still had the Maniac's smug smile on his face, even in spite of the fact that there was a large weapon pointed at his face.

" Is this really necessary?" Nighten asked.

Gannon shook his head 'yes', trying not to pull the trigger, and fry the liar.

" Okay." Nighten said, nodding slowly. " I guess you're a little confused, and mad...but..."

" Question one." Gannon said, cutting him off. " Who are you, _really_?"

The crew member being questioned looked confused. " Well, in this world, I'm Nighten of the _Mnemosyne_."

" And in the matrix?" Dial asked.

" Then...I'm a Maniac."

" Why do you look different?" Pandora questioned. " Your hair turns white, and it looks like you're bigger in the Matrix, stronger."

" That's a longer story." Nighten said.

" We'll get it to, trust me." Gannon told him. " Question two: were you really a Captain?"

Nighten sighed with frustration. " Gannon, everything I've ever told you is true. Zion has my records, of course I was a Captain." Gannon didn't respond. " But I couldn't tell you everything, not right away. You wouldn't have let me on the ship."

" So you're saying I should have a reason to kick you off?" Gannon asked.

" Not at all." Nighten replied. " If I had told you everything...you wouldn't have let me on. You wouldn't have believed me. But I needed to be onto a ship to get into the Matrix, so I can do my job. Agent killing. I picked your ship, because I saw how close you are to your crew. That night, when I fought the Agents on the busy street, and saw you come after Pandora, I knew that I wanted to be a part of your crew."

Gannon handed the gun to Dial, and moved in closer to Nighten, not taking off the straps that bonded him to the chair.

" Fine. Question three: what's in your suitcase? I could barely pick it up."

Nighten frowned. " The same thing that Dial has in his hands right now." He said, referring to the large electric gun.

Gannon's face contorted. " And why would you bring an unregistered weapon secretly onto my ship?"

" It was from _my_ ship, _The Centaur_." Nighten answered. " I figured we could use it."

" Against who?" Pandora asked. " The war is over, Nighten, Sentinels don't fight anymore."

Nighten shook his head. " Well, I still have trouble trusting Sentinels, but perhaps against other humans. Are you familiar with the Bane situation?"

" The Bane situation?" Dial asked.

" It was during the war." Gannon answered, nodding his head. " Agent Smith found a way to get into the real world."

The rest of the crew's eyes went wide.

" How?" Pandora asked. " And why haven't we heard about it?"

" Only Captains were informed." Gannon answered. " Incase we noticed any other suspicious crew members." Gannon directed that statement directly at Nighten, who seemed indifferent.

" Smith could copy himself onto anything hooked into the system." Nighten explained. " He would use other Agents, innocent people, and eventually he got his hands on one of us, a man named Bane."

" Smith took over Bane's body right as he was about to reach an exit." Gannon continued the story. " And apparently he answered the phone, and was brought into the _real_ world."

" But he still looked like Bane?" Dial asked. " That's not right..."

" Could it happen again?" Pandora asked.

" These Agents can't spread themselves into other people." Gannon told her. " _Only_ Smith could do that, because of his relationship with Neo."

" But they've already found ways to create new Agents." Nighten said. " And I think their next goal is to achieve Smith's power of cloning. And if that happened, any or all of the Agents could be brought into the real world."

" So that's why you're killing them?" Dial asked.

Nighten put his smug smile back on. " There are a lot of reasons why I'm killing them."

Gannon nodded. " Okay, Nighten. I get the feeling its story time. Question four: How the _hell_ are you able to _kill_ Agents?"

Nighten took a deep breath.

" The short answer is: my grenade launcher." Nighten answered. The crew just stared at him, apparently looking for more than the_ short answer_. " Bullets are too small, and they're used to dodging them. But explosives hurt. Three successful hits from a grenade, and an Agent _will_ die."

Pandora shook her head. " I've see an Agent fall off a building. When he hit the ground, there wasn't a dead Agent. There was a dead repairman. Agents leave their hosts, and don't die."

Nighten inhaled deeply. " That's true, but...I can prevent that. You saw it yourself, with the blonde Agent."

Gannon shrugged. " I don't know what I saw. I sure as hell didn't think I was looking at _you_. How can you _stop_ an Agent from aborting his host?"

" If I'm touching them, I can stop them." Nighten answered reluctantly. " That's why when I grabbed Agent Williams, he couldn't escape."

" Okay," Pandora said, " but how did you get this ability?"

" I discovered it by accident." Nighten told her. " It was the day the war ended. I was jacked in, looking for the Oracle."

" How were you in the Matrix?" Dial asked. " If you were a captain of a ship, you should have been on the dock."

Nighten rubbed his head, thinking of how to say what he needed to say.

" I was tired of the war." He explained. " I knew it was going to end, I had heard reports of the Sentinels coming. I knew, one way or another, Zion would either be free or perish that night. But it was driving me crazy. I had to see the Oracle. I wanted to know how it was going to end."

" So you abandoned your ship?" Gannon asked him.

Nighten shook his head. " I took my ship, and left my crew in Zion. They...wouldn't come with me. They didn't feel safe. _The Centaur_ is probably the smallest ship of our fleet, so I left Zion before lockdown, and went to broadcast depth."

" And you didn't run into Sentinels?" Dial asked.

" I had to be careful, but I left in the opposite direction. Nearly every Sentinel was by the drills that day. Those roaming the tunnels, as it turns out, ended up chasing Niobe and Morpheus. So I went into the Matrix."

" The Matrix was crawling with Smiths." Pandora pointed out. " Jesus Nighten, even if you left before the battle for Zion started, Smiths would be in nearly every house, nearly every street corner..."

Nighten shook his head. " It hadn't gotten that bad yet. Smith still hadn't reached the Oracle. But I did run into one. I was close to her apartment building, when he stepped out of the shadows, and stuck his hand in my stomach."

" I knew it." Gannon said angrily. " Dial give me the gun! He's a Smith!"

" I not a damn Agent, Gannon!" Nighten contended. " He didn't copy himself on me. I received some help. The Agent trying to copy onto me was kicked out of the way, and all of a sudden, I found myself face to face with... _The One_."

The crew's eyes went wide.

" You _met_ Neo?" Pandora said with amazement.

Nighten nodded. " He's the one who gave me my grenade launcher. He told me I would need it. I told him I didn't understand, and he just smiled. He said to me...he never understood either, but that the sooner I believed, and realized that nothing was real, I would be fine. And then, he flew off, straight up into the air. Apparently, he was on his way to see the Oracle as well."

" And so all of sudden," Gannon said, " you're _The Two_?"

The man with short brown hair gave a short chuckle. " Not really. That's just what the Agent's started to call me. They label anything they don't understand an 'anomaly'. But I didn't know what I was capable of then. All I knew what that the Agent Smith was back on his feet, and coming after me again."

" So you shot him with your grenade launcher?" Dial predicted.

Nighten shook his head. " He was four feet away from me. I thought I would be blown to hell with him. So I panicked, turned around, and started to run." Nighten paused, looking to the ceiling of the Mnemosyne. " I can still hear the sound of his gunshots, and feel the excruciating pain as four bullets tore through my back."

The crew cringed.

" But..." Nighten continued, " I was too mad to accept death. I didn't start believing anything, and I certainly didn't think I might be dying, I was just so angry at the Agent that I turned around and started shooting. He was far enough away that I was only knocked down, and so I just kept on shooting. When all the smoke cleared, I saw Agent Smith, lying on his back, with his Desert Eagle in his hand. But he wasn't moving. I had killed him."

Nighten paused before continuing. " I looked down...at my chest...and saw four bullet holes. They had gone right through me. But...the pain had passed, and...I wasn't bleeding anymore. I was...fine. Suddenly, I realized that it wasn't _me_ that had been shot, it was my RSI that had been hit with _computer_ bullets from the _computer generated_ gun of a _computer_ program. I guess that's when I hair went white, after that first explosion. It stays brown in the real world, but it's white every time I enter the Matrix."

" Did you end up meeting the Oracle?" Gannon asked, starting to believe the man's story.

He nodded. " But not after being attacked by more Smiths. I don't know if they were tracking me, or following Neo and had just ended up seeing me, but I had only gone ten feet when a dozen Smiths came after me. I did what I had to do, and kept firing, as they closed in on me. Eventually I was firing inches from my face, and my body was being rocked by the explosions too. The only difference was, every three shots, at least _one_ of them would die. I never did."

" A grenade launcher holds nine grenades." Dial said. " How could kill twelve Agents, plus the one that attacked you before, on nine grenades, if it takes three direct hits to kill them."

" It never runs out of shells." Nighten said plainly. " I don't know if that's because of me, or a gift from Neo, but I've got unlimited ammunition."

Gannon leaned forward. " Tell me about your visit to the Oracle."

" That was my next stop. I had met the Oracle before, when I was newly unplugged, and she had told me that I didn't have the balls to be a Captain of a ship, and that I should stay as far away from a control panel and an EMP as possible." Nighten smiled. " Back then, it was exactly what I needed to hear."

" So what did she tell you the _second_ time you saw her?" Gannon asked.

" She said I was too young to have white hair," Nighten said with a laugh, " And I told her she looked different, too. She smiled, and then started to make cookie dough, saying that they were for her next guest. And then...she went on to tell me that as long as I didn't accept being killed by a program, then a program would never kill me."

" So you're _invincible_." Gannon said, obviously not believing him. " Then you won't mind if I try out this gun, and zap you for a few minutes?"

" I am every bit as human as you are, Gannon." Nighten told him. " It is in the Matrix, that I can't be killed. In the real world, I would cook if you shot that gun at me."

Pandora stood up. " Let's load up the construct. Give me a gun, and I'll shoot him. Then we'll see if he's telling the truth."

" It doesn't work that way, Pandora." Nighten explained. " I _have_ to accept being shot by another _person_, even in the Matrix, or another program like the construct. It's programs that can't kill me."

" And what if I gave you a gun," Gannon said, " and told you to shoot yourself? Would you die, then?"

Nighten nodded. " That's suicide. Me killing me. I'm not a program, so I would die."

Gannon stood up, enraged. " And how is shooting a grenade an inch from your own face _not suicide_?"

" Because I am not _trying_ to kill myself, I am directing the blast only at my enemy. And as long as I believe that...I won't be killed." Nighten sighed. " It took me a while to accept, too. Really, when I kill an Agent, I am killing the host, and the Agent gets trapped inside. It's unfortunate, but the only way."

Gannon rolled his eyes, handing the gun back to Dial.

" Any other powers I should be aware of, _Maniac_?"

Nighten paused. " I can interact with the code, to a small degree. I can repair things, like my weapon, and that's how I'm able to keep Agents in their hosts. If I can touch them, then I can alter their code, and trap them."

" So what happened with Morpheus and Niobe?" Pandora asked.

" Like I said, I knew they would need me." Nighten explained. " So I had to jet ahead of you guys. Hermes did an excellent hack, but as soon as I got in, I altered my drop off point. If we would have had this conversation inside the Matrix, the whole operation would have failed. I knew the kidnapping was a plan to draw me out. So, I helped Morpheus and Niobe get the girl out, and then started battling the Agents."

" Morpheus trusted you?" Dial wondered.

The brown haired man nodded. " He knew I could help them. And I did. Listen, all of you... I'm not a savior, and I know it. I've been given a gift, and I plan on using it to the fullest extent. I want Agents to fear us, and I'm tired of it being the other way around."

" Last question." Gannon stated. " What happened to the rest of your crew?"

The second anomaly paused, before looking up with a stone face.

" Dead to the last man. They died bravely in the battle for Zion. And that was _their_ choice."

Gannon hesitated for a long moment of silence. Sitting in front of him was a man who could guarantee safety on nearly every Matrix operation he would ever go on again. Sitting in front of him, was a man who could destroy Agents, which would mean a much easier time freeing minds. And then again, sitting in front of him was a man who had hidden something from him, and abandoned them in the Matrix to go kill Agents. It was a choice fit for only a Captain to make.

" Dial, unhook him." Gannon ordered. Dial obeyed, taking off the straps from Nighten's wrists and feet. As soon as Nighten was free, and standing up, the Captain of the _Mnemosyne_ approached him again.

" Nighten, I'm sorry." Gannon apologized. " I'm grateful for your help, and very grateful that you chose to use your talents on my ship. But from now on, I need to know everything you know. This ship doesn't go far without honesty and trust."

Nighten nodded. " I realize that, Gannon. I regret not telling you. But, it was my only option." The Captain nodded, and the two men shook hands.

" Why is everybody yelling?" Came the small voice of Crusher, who was rubbing his eyes, having just been rudely woken up from his nap.

" Don't worry, Crusher." Pandora said, picking her little brother up and letting him sit on her lap. " We were just fighting over who gets to eat that new flavor of slop you've been cooking up."

The Crusher looked around with wide eyes. " Oh, it's not done yet..."

" You can practice your cooking later, kiddo." Gannon said with a grin. " Didn't you tell me you wanted to learn how to... _sword fight_?"

* * *

(End of Chapter 7)

In response to reviews:

_Basia Adami_- Plenty more Crusher to come, I promise! And see? I told you Pandora was good! And thanks for the site, I'll be sure to check any names I take from planets with their mythological counterparts from now on!

_Nathol_- Glad you're having fun with it, I know I am. And don't worry, those chapters are on their way!


	8. I still love candy

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 8: I still love candy

" Ah, Sati, honey!" The Oracle said with a smile, as the little Indian girl ran into the kitchen, with Morpheus and Niobe at her back.

" Oracle!" Sati exclaimed, running to embrace the woman.

" I'm sorry that had to happen, dear." The Oracle apologized. " But it seems that our old friends Morpheus and Niobe rescued you."

Sati nodded furiously. " They did. But, I was hoping that Neoh was going to help me." The young girl admitted, mispronouncing Neo's name.

The Oracle shrugged. " Well, we don't know where Neo is, or if he's coming back, Sati. I would be grateful to those two for being brave enough to rescue you."

The young program turned around and gave a slight bow, thanking them. Morpheus nodded with a smile, and Niobe did the same.

" Why don't you say hello to Seraph, Sati, I think he'd like some company. He's in the bedroom." The Oracle said, as Sati nodded and ran towards the bedroom.

" How is Seraph?" Morpheus asked, stepping more into the kitchen. " He must have faced an Agent or two for him to lose the girl."

The Oracle nodded, taking out a cigarette to smoke.

" He's been better," The Oracle said, " That's for sure. The Agents thought it out well. They caught him in the "backdoors". Agent Brown faced him personally."

Morpheus seemed impressed. " They sent one of their leaders. I wouldn't have expected that."

The older woman took a deep breath of her cigarette. " Yeah, they knew he'd get the job done. Seraph insisted on fighting the Agent, so it seems that Brown decided to try out an experiment on him."

" What type of experiment?" Niobe asked.

" Well," The Oracle replied, " the kind that Smith used to try. He even did it to me, once."

Morpheus took off his sunglasses. " Are you saying the Agents have found a way to copy themselves?"

The Oracle shook her head. " The experiment...was a failure. Seraph told me that Brown stuck his hand in his stomach, and then both of them started to shake. Seraph started to change, but then Brown started to scream, and took his hand out, unable to finish the transformation. His code is in bad shape, there is a little bit of Brown's code in him, but the real problem is that what's left of his code is scrambled. The Agents don't know what they're doing yet, but they are definitely trying."

Sati screamed from the other room, alarming everyone else.

" Oh, dear." The Oracle said, putting out her cigarette. " I guess I should have warned her, first."

" What do you mean?" Morpheus said.

" I'll show you." The Oracle told him, as she got up, leading the two rebels into the bedroom. As soon as they walked in, Sati ran up to the Oracle with her hands on her mouth, and tears in her eyes.

" I think Seraph is sick..." Sati said. The Oracle leaned down to hug her.

" He'll get better." The Oracle promised her. " Why don't you go have some cookies in the kitchen, okay?"

" Okay." Sati agreed, leaving the room, obviously upset.

The Oracle was wordless as Morpheus and Niobe entered the bedroom, and saw what _appeared_ to be Seraph, lying flat and unmoving on the bed.

His traditional Chinese fighting gown, which had always been white and open, was now as black as an Agent's suit, with the middle button buttoned, like a suit jacket.

Morpheus leaned closer to see Seraph's hair was a little longer and slicked back in some places, but still short and spiky in others. His sunglasses were still the same, rounded glasses similar to Morpheus', save the fact that they hung off his ears, but the most prominent, and disturbing change...was his face.

Seraph had Agent Brown's nose and lips.

The rest of his face remained the same, as far as jaw structure, ears, and complexion, but it was very unsettling to see a white nose and thin lips on the Asian man. It looked as if his nose and lips had been cut off, and Agent Brown's had just been glued on.

" As you can see," The Oracle said sadly, " his code in very scrambled."

" Is he dying?" Niobe asked.

" He's not recovering, that's for sure." The Oracle said. " But...he doesn't appear to be getting any worse. Normally, I would take him to the source...but..."

" But the source only wants to delete you...and him." Morpheus finished for her.

The older woman nodded.

" Is he talking?" Niobe questioned.

The Oracle shrugged. " Oh, he talks. Sometimes, he'll babble on about 'engaging rebels' or 'confronting the second anomaly', and other times...he'll plead for my help, and apologize for losing Sati."

Morpheus sighed. " I don't know if it's safe for him to be here." He said, observing Seraph. " If he's talking like an Agent, then he might start acting like an Agent."

" There's nowhere to take him, Morpheus." The Oracle told him. " And I'm not about to throw my Guardian out on the street."

Morpheus paused.

" I think I know somebody who could help him." Morpheus said.

The Oracle smiled. " _Really_?"

Morpheus grinned. " But you already know who I'm going to suggest."

" Wouldn't be much of an Oracle if I didn't." She said. " Yes, I would like him to try to. After all, he is...the _second anomaly_."

Morpheus nodded grimly, before asking her.

" Oracle, what exactly does that _mean_?"

" You mean the fact that there _are_ two anomalies?"

" You told me my purpose was to find _The One_. Well, if Neo was _The One_, then what does that make for..."

" His name is Nighten." The Oracle told him. " And he is a crew member of the _Mnemosyne_. Of course, _they're_ just finding that out, and he might be in some pretty hot water right now."

" It was Neo's job to save us all." Niobe pointed out. " To end the war. What's this guy's job?"

The Oracle paused, smiling.

" Do you know what my last talk with Neo was about?" The two didn't respond. " It was about balancing equations. I told him that he balanced out Smith, that I _unbalanced_ the Architect's equation, and that everything was always trying to maintain balance. Right now, this world is a mess. Definitely _not_ balanced. There are too many Agents trying to mess everything up."

" So he's the balance to the growing amount of Agents." Morpheus stated. " But how did he get his abilities?"

" Well, a few ways." The Oracle reasoned. " I suppose he was born with them, but he can only use them because the system is trying to equalize everything. Neo also gave him a little help, as did I."

" He told me Neo gave him his weapon." Morpheus said.

The Oracle nodded. " The grenade launcher was a present from Neo. But more than that, Neo had altered it, so that it _changed_ the man's code, helping his abilities to awaken. He's not _The One_, Morpheus. Although there have been others in past versions of the Matrix, Nighten in no reincarnate. He _is_ however, vital to the future of your kind...and, unfortunately...the demise of mine."

* * *

" Crusher, are you okay?" Pandora asked her little brother, whose eyes were wide and mouth was wide open.

" My head...hurts a little." Crusher said, rubbing his forehead.

" Well, that's normal." Gannon told him. " Especially after we just downloaded 7 years of practicing kendo into your head."

" It's a good pick, though." Hermes said. " Japanese sword fighting is very quick, and takes a lot of skill. The katana was definitely a good choice."

" Let's give him a chance to try it out, then." Gannon said. " We'll load you up in the construct first."

A world of white came over Pandora and Crusher, as they found themselves in the construct. Pandora was in her normal RSI attire, but Crusher was in a notably different outfit.

Dressed from the neck down in blue Samurai armor, with his new katana sword at his side, Crusher provided a very interesting mix of cultures, with his blonde spiky hair over the shogun suit. Also, he had decided to keep his cape, which was flowing behind his Samurai armor.

" I've got to hand it to you, Crusher." Pandora said. " You've got style."

Crusher smiled happily as he drew his sword like he had been wielding it for years. However, the moment it was out of its scabbard, the blade started to pull his arms down, until the tip rested against the ground.

" It's too heavy!" Crusher said, angrily trying to pull up his sword.

Pandora gave a small laugh. " C'mon Crusher, you have to be able to hold you're sword before you can start swinging it at people."

" I know how to swing it!" Crusher contended, grunting as he was making no progress in lifting the sword. Finally he dropped it on the ground. " I'm just not strong enough." He said, looking down. " Could I pick a lighter sword?"

The female warrior walked over to him, and lifted up his chin with her hand.

" Watch this." Pandora said, as he crouched down near the sword, wrapped her pinky finger around the hilt, and lifted it up effortlessly.

The young boy was impressed, but still defiant.

" You're older than I am, so you're stronger!" He contended.

" Crusher, do you really think I am _stronger_ than you because I have bigger _muscles_ in this place? You're forgetting where we are." Pandora put the katana back on the floor in front of her brother.

Crusher paused. " Is this like the roofs of those buildings?"

Pandora nodded. " This is the construct. It's like the Matrix, and so it has the same rules as the Matrix. But because the Matrix is not the real world, you don't have to obey those rules. That sword isn't too heavy for you, because...its not even a sword. Do you think that's _metal_ the blade is made of?"

Crusher looked at the sword unhappily, and then walked over to it, and reached to pick it up.

Once again, it was too heavy. The boy with tall, spiky blonde hair grunted, and angrily kicked the sword, hard enough that it flew up at Pandora. His sister leaned over and threw her arm out to catch it.

" If you can kick the sword that hard, you can pick it up." His sister told him. " Here, catch!"

She tossed the blade before her brother could respond, so Crusher had no option but to catch it. He leaned forward anxious for it to fall in his hands, and when it did, when he wrapped his fingers securely around the hilt, holding it perfectly upright just fine.

" It's not too heavy?" Crusher said, surprised.

Pandora shook her head. " You were thinking about it too much. I knew that if I threw it at you, you would catch it on impulse, and not have time to over think it. But now that you _believe_ you can hold it, you'll be fine."

Crusher nodded, as he smiled and started to skillfully wield the sword, slashing enemies that weren't there, cutting through imaginary obstacles, and slicing into transparent evil-doers.

" Hermes, load the Agent program." Pandora said with a smug grin.

Crusher looked up with surprise as the white abyss he was standing in transformed into a busy street sidewalk, with hundreds of people moving around him. He sheathed his sword, as Pandora started walking forward.

" This is what the Matrix is like, little brother." Pandora said. " You know it, you were living in it up until recently."

Crusher followed his sister, though he was amazed at how people seemed to be walking _around_ her, and right _into_ him.

" But not everyone is as lucky as you are, Crusher. In fact, a lot of people are still plugged into the Matrix, and even though the war is over, it can still be a very dangerous place."

" Why?" Crusher asked, as a woman in a business suit nearly knocked him over. " You mean like car crashes, and fires?"

" No Crusher." Pandora told him, stopping for a moment. " I'm talking about _programs_. The Matrix runs on programs, it is a system dependent on them. Most...you'll never notice. But some, more troublesome programs, appear as humans. The biggest problem, Crusher, is that some of these programs can _use_ people, people that aren't free like us."

The two started walking again.

" What do they look like?" Crusher asked, putting his hand on his sword.

Pandora shrugged. " The programs I'm talking about? Well, because they can use people, they could be every person walking around us right now. Anyone that is still plugged in can be taken over by these programs."

Crusher had stopped listening to her, as he was fascinated by a large Dalmatian trotting down the sidewalk.

" Crusher!" His sister yelled. " What did I just say?"

The little boy's face turned red. " Well, I was looking at the dog, but..."

" What dog?" Pandora said with a smile.

Crusher turned around, expecting to see his Dalmatian, and was instead greeted by a tall man in a jet black suit with slicked back hair, pointing a gun at his head.

The young boy screamed as he drew his sword out effortlessly, rolled to the side, and _sliced off_ the arm that was holding the gun.

The Agent simulation turned to Crusher angrily and knocked him down with his remaining arm. When the Agent started to walk towards him again, Crusher leaned forward and shoved his sword through the Agent's stomach, impaling him. Crusher's eyes went wide as the Agent was about to fall on him, and he rolled out of the way.

Pandora was stunned, she had planned on telling Hermes to freeze the program, so she could explain Agents to Crusher, but...it seemed he knew how to handle himself pretty well.

" Pandora...who is that guy?" Crusher said, backing away.

" That _was_ an Agent simulation. They are the programs that can move in and out of any human that we haven't freed. They don't like us, and will try to kill us."

Crusher's eyes went wider when blue electricity overcame the agent simulation, and lying impaled in front of him now was an old man in jogging clothes.

" I...killed an old man?" Crusher said, horrified with himself.

" No, Crusher, this is just a simulation. But these are the people that Agents take over. Agents don't get hurt, they leave these people behind, their hosts. But if that were a real Agent, Crusher, I wouldn't have wanted you to draw your sword. I would have wanted you to run."

" Why?" Crusher asked. " I won! I beat him!"

Pandora shook her head. " A real Agent would have shot at you before you turned around. Your sword is a good weapon, and I'm glad you're not afraid to use it. But right now, we're going to play a new game."

" Okay. What is it?"

" Tag." Pandora said with a smile. " Hermes, load up another Agent!"

Crusher watched as a tall woman walking by him started convulsing, and her face and hands started to change shape. Only a moment later, she had _changed_, completely transformed, into an Agent.

" Okay, Crusher." Pandora said, as the Agent simulation started walking towards him. " He's _it_."

Crusher looked very surprised and terrified, and so he ripped his sword from the body of the man he had killed, and started to run.

He ran his ass off.


	9. Still can't sleep?

He said he killed an Agent

Chapter 9: Still can't sleep?

* * *

_"You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically this is not far from the truth."_ -Morpheus

* * *

The ship _Mnemosyne_ hit the ground of the tunnels with immeasurable speed, tearing apart the cockpit, slashing through metal. There was a symphony of screeches, crashing, clanking and screaming, as the remainder of the ship exploded.

The explosion set off the ship's EMP, causing the electric blue matter to rise up and out above the yellow fire, mushrooming until it scorched the roof of the tunnels, and blew a hole open to the surface.

Nighten suddenly realized that he was watching all this from outside the _Mnemosyne_, in the middle of the tunnels of the real. He couldn't explain what was happening, or why he wasn't onboard, all he knew is what he saw. And he saw the ship he was supposed to be on, and most likely the crew inside...burning into destruction.

The surviving crewmember grabbed at his short brown hair, screaming, and ran towards the ship.

Like lightning, a dozen Sentinels dropped down from the ceiling of the tunnel, spreading out their mechanical tentacles to strike at him, and spewing out their red lasers to cut at him.

These Sentinels, Nighten realized with horror, were very different from other Sentinels he had seen and fought. Instead of insect-like heads, they had _faces_, built from metal, that resembled people he could not mistake.

Agents.

These Sentinels had the _faces_ of Agents.

Nighten started to sprint wildly around the ship, watching as the Agent-faced Sentinels started tearing at the remains of the _Mnemosyne_, slicing through the hull with their red lasers, and pulling it off with the talons on the end of their tentacles.

He heard a scream from the _Mnemosyne_, from the mouth of a young boy.

Nighten stopped to see Crusher _fly_ out from the burning ship, dressed in Samurai armor and a cape, slashing away at the deformed Sentinels with his Japanese sword.

All the Sentinels turned their attention towards the young boy, who seemed to be able to defend himself quite expertly, as he flew through the air without resistance, _floating_ with the machines. Nighten, in a state that could only be described as a mix of shock and ultimate confusion, ran towards the burning ship, trying to see the condition of the other crew members.

Nighten blinked, and found himself inside the _Mnemosyne_. He was shaking with fright, unsure of why everything was happening, with no memory of anything going wrong. Hell, he didn't even remember leaving the ship, and now it was falling apart around him.

The rebel cringed when he looked to the operating board, to see Hermes had been impaled by his own equipment, and sparks were flying from the keyboards surrounding his corpse. Dial and Gannon were strapped into their Matrix chairs, both with blood coming out the sides of their mouths, with both of their monitors showing stopped hearts.

Nighten wiped the sweat from his forehead as he sprinted to the back of the ship, only to be kicked down by Pandora.

The woman had an oversized electric gun in her hand, and was bleeding profusely, screaming at him.

" Where's Crusher?" She screamed at him, as Nighten crawled backwards on his hands. " I'm not going on this mission, Gannon! I have too much to lose! Where's Crusher?"

Nighten had backed himself into a corner of the burning ship, and shakily got to his feet. Had she just called him 'Gannon?'

" Pan...Pandora..." Nighten said, his voice coinciding with his shaking body. " What happened here?"

The woman had never looked so fierce, with her blonde hair out of its ponytail, flying around her shoulders like a lion's mane.

" Get...my brother...out...now!" Pandora commanded him.

Nighten shook his head with confusion.

" Pandora, he's outside! Fighting Sentinels! We have to leave, everyone else is dead!"

Pandora's anger intensified, and she kicked Nighten hard in the side.

" I told you this would happen, Gannon! You promised we wouldn't send him in!" The blonde woman screamed, as she pulled the trigger.

The brown haired man leaped under Pandora to avoid being fried alive by blue electricity. When he turned back around, everything had changed again.

He was on the surface now, the surface like he had never imagined it could be.

It was bright. Incredibly bright. Almost too bright, because of the brilliant _sun_ burning down on his flesh and the hard ground he stood on.

Nighten was amazed, the sky was not black. There were no dark clouds, no fuming smoke, just brilliant, energizing light falling down from the ball of fire in the sky.

The man heard footsteps behind him, and he turned around to see another man, with his head down and struggling to walk, coming nearer. Nighten looked behind the limping man, to see that everywhere he stepped, grass had sprouted, and other vegetation flourished.

Nighten ran over to the man, to hear he was having difficulty breathing. His long, labored gasps quickened, as he collapsed onto the ground, a bed of flowers growing around him. Nighten finally reached him, and turned him over, to see quite a familiar face.

" _Neo_?"

The conqueror of Agent Smith had never looked more fragile: his skin turning blue, and his eyes severely burnt.

" Can't....breathe..." Neo said to him, grabbing his shirt.

Nighten had never felt more helpless, as he looked around and started screaming for help.

" There's...nobody..." Neo explained quietly. " Nobody...to help us..."

" What about Zion?" Nighten asked him.

Neo gave a slight smile.

" Zion? Zion...is..._dead_."

" How? Neo, what the hell is happening to our world?"

" Suffocating...." Neo pointed to the sky with an outstretched shaking hand, and then his arm fell, and he stopped breathing.

Nighten's eyes started to water as he stood up and backed away from Neo's body. Hadn't he already been dead?

Again, a noise from over his shoulder alerted him. This time, however, it was something to be much more concerned about.

This time, it was machines.

An army of taller, bigger machines than he had ever seen, thriving and shining in the sunlight, was marching towards him. They were faster and mightier than any Sentinel had ever been, and they were parading around like it had always been their world. The Deus Ex Machina zoomed overhead happily, like a child in an amusement park. It seemed they now had everything they would ever need: sunlight...and no humans.

Nighten started to walk backwards, and tripped over Neo's body. He closed his eyes when his head hit the hard ground, and when he started to get up, he realized his location had changed once again.

It was a place he knew too well, and it was exactly how Neo had described it.

It was Zion. And it was dead.

The only things moving in Zion were the swarming Sentinels picking away at the blue bodies that littered the walkways. They had all suffocated, like Neo, and it was all to the machines' benefit. All of the ships were on fire, spitting images of what he had seen happen to the _Mnemosyne._

Morpheus appeared on his left.

" I'm a fool for ever having trusted them." Morpheus spoke, walking around the dead, seemingly unaware of Nighten's presence. " To think, I was supposed to make sure this didn't happen...I led the envoys, but...while I was away...the machines had already completed it. They...they used it before I could get back."

Nighten went to approach Morpheus, when a Sentinel came and snatched him away. He then noticed on the walkway in front of him was a machine that resembled a man, standing over the bodies of all the Council members...laughing.

It was unmistakably Councilor Hom, the representative from Zero One.

Had _he_ been the one to betray them?

Suddenly Councilor Hom stopped his horrific monotone laughing, as his eyes flashed red, and locked on Nighten. He had been spotted. Hom grabbed a large spike laying on the ground, picked it up, and started running towards him.

Nighten screamed and sprinted away, stepping on bodies and leaping over rails to escape the machine that looked like a human. The brown haired rebel realized that he was not moving fast enough though, and before he could look over his shoulder, a giant needle was stuck into the back of his skull.

The world was again different, it was now a giant city, a city coated in _green_.

Nighten concluded he was in the Matrix. He was dressed in his red leather, his hair was white, and there, lying on the ground next to him, was his grenade launcher- his gift from Neo. He was now the Maniac.

The Maniac was startled to see the Oracle, as she was running. The older woman was frantically running around the street in front of him, smoking cigarettes and throwing cookies, as she was being chased by an abomination. This monster seemed to be half man, half Agent. More specifically, The Maniac thought he recognized traces of Seraph in him, but his code had been mutilated, and corrupted by that of an Agent.

Nighten watched the chase with a little amusement, until the Seraph Agent pulled out a pistol, and shot the Oracle in the back of the head. The Maniac stood up and grabbed his grenade launcher, angrily aiming it at the man who had slaughtered the Oracle.

The Seraph Agent noticed him right away, and threw down his pistol, falling on his knees to beg for forgiveness.

" I need your help!" The man cried to him, shaking with fear. " I can't fight it! You must help me!"

The Maniac shook his head. " You killed the Oracle. You're an Agent." Nighten told him, and unsure of what else to do, he pulled the trigger to his grenade launcher.

Nothing happened.

There was no projectile, and thus no explosion. Nighten was shocked to see that no matter how many times he pulled the trigger, the grenade launcher would not fire.

The Seraph Agent pointed at Nighten, with a half-smile.

Nighten stopped to observe himself, to see that his red leather was gone, and his hair was again brown. He was no longer the Maniac.

" What did you do?" Nighten yelled at the Seraph Agent.

The abomination smiled, and pointed to the dead Oracle.

Nighten didn't understand. Just because she was gone, did that mean he couldn't use his abilities?

" So, should I kill you?" Nighten asked the monster. He was not threatening him, it seemed more like Nighten was asking Seraph for advice.

The Seraph Agent shrugged.

" We asked for your help, Mr. Maniac. _How_ you assist us, is unknown to me."

" Who's asking for my help?" Nighten demanded to know. " Are you Seraph, or are you the Agents?"

The two-faced man's answer came in the form of a hand, a hand that was stuck into Nighten's stomach, causing a cool, silver liquid to crawl up his body.

* * *

Nighten's eyes flashed open. He was in his cold bed, in an even colder sweat.

That meant he was on the _Mnemosyne_...it hadn't been destroyed. Nighten sighed as he sat up, scratching his head. He knew from the start that is was a dream, but he also knew it was a dream he had to endure. It _meant_ something, he had it for a reason.

He had to take action. Dreams like this were not to be ignored. Nighten shuddered at the thought that he might have _the sight_, a gift given to only the Oracle, and eventually Neo. But if that was the future...then it had to be changed.

Nighten was startled when his door flew open. Standing behind the door, was the entire crew of the _Mnemosyne_, staring at him with wonder.

" Was I snoring?" Nighten asked smugly.

" That," Gannon said," and screaming...a lot."

Dial chuckled. " We all have nightmares," he said, " but yours literally took up the whole night."

" Sorry." Nighten apologized. " This is a first for me, too."

Pandora came over to him. " How are you feeling?"

Nighten shrugged. " Well...confused."

" What was it about?" Gannon asked him. " Was it about us?"

Nighten nodded. " It was about...everyone. Even Zion." He paused. " Even the Matrix."

Gannon nodded, rubbing his coarse beard thoughtfully. " Okay, Nighten. Anything we should know?"

The brown haired man shook his head. " I still need time to figure everything out, but...from what I know so far, there really isn't any time. I've got a lot of stops to make. We need to get to Zion. But, right now...I need to get into the Matrix."

" Why?" Pandora questioned.

" To see the Oracle. I think she's in danger."

The crew's eyes lit up with surprise, as they looked to Gannon, who had a smile on his face.

" I told you." Gannon told the rest of his crew smugly.

" What are you talking about?" Nighten asked.

" We just received a call." Hermes told him. " From the Oracle. She said she needs to see you as soon as possible."

" And I figured you would already know why." Gannon said with a smile. " Do you?"

Nighten paused, and then nodded.

" It's Seraph. Something's wrong with Seraph."

* * *

_"You have the sight now...You are looking at the world without time."_ - The Oracle


End file.
